Inheritor of Vengeance
by godofhisownstories
Summary: Kratos and Loki survived the first Ragnarök, breaking another world in the process. Fates around the world banded together and suppress the tales of their existence. Atreus and Kratos enter a self-exile as a way to spare the mortals of suffering. All was fine for three millennia until one problem popped up: Atreus had a son during his escapades and he joined the half-blood camp.
1. Chapter 1: Of Wisdom and War

Chapter 01: Of Wisdom and War

There is a hidden forest in Maine, where one won't be able to enter. It is inhabited by various spirits of nature of Native American origins. The Gods and their spawn usually ignore the place, as it was never important to them. It was the perfect place for those who were hunted by the gods to lay low or even make a permanent home out of it, provided they can fend of the magical creatures, mischevious to the ordinary mortal but hostile and deadly to the other pantheons.

A fallen god made his cabin there, subduing the forest as he built his cabin by every tree he chopped. His son, ever the Seiðmaðr, made a ward there before travelling the world, temporarily leaving the god to his own device.

That and a decapitated head who still tried to chat with him after three thousand years.

Anomalies, they were. Around the world, those who represent the fates suppress tales of their existence, the so-called travelling Gods. Small their number, but when they combined their might, they were as strong as any other pantheon, if not stronger. Not all gods have the privilege of breaking destiny, after all.

First, we have Kratos, Leader of the small band of Gods who changes domain every hundred years. God of Vengeance, War, rage, hunt, and Hope. The greek called him Ghost of Sparta, the Norse knows him as Fárbauti, Immortals referred to him as Godslayer, the fates around the world despise him as Breaker of Destiny. In the previous cycles, he was Bane of Olympus, scourge of the world, the bringer of sorrow, and the loving husband of Laufey and the distant father of Loki. Sadly, Laufey already reincarnated as someone completely unknown to him and the new Loki is a piece of work Kratos wouldn't poke with a ten-mile pole.

Puck, a mischievous and cunning fairy of Irish mythology who in the previous cycle of Ragnarök became Mimir. Self-proclaimed Smartest Undead and a God of Knowledge, not that he can be proud of that since his current domain was a forest with hardly any people in it, but still Kratos was a general and a great tactician, so his claim still hold a great weight.

And the third leader of the travelling God was Atreus, the Loki of the previous Cycle. He holds the seat of God of Stories, Trickery, Archery, Magic, hunting and duality. He is now known among the second cycle Jötunn as Føroyar-Loki, after the first place they took as their own domain following the rebirth of the world. A time where the name Loki was not known as a menace, but that of a great god and a wise king..or queen if he/she feel like it.

The previous cycle Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel (manifesting in the world as a child with blackened and corpse-like lower half) travel with Atreus as his puppy, snake, and daughter respectively. They too, for possessing the blood of Kratos, had been erased from the world history.

But even then, news travels fast, especially among the gods. Pantheons might not wish to interact with each other, but from time to time they do exchange information. When a fire spirit dared to try to bring death and misfortune to Kratos' cabin, the eternally rageful god took care of him with his frost axe, but his allies caught wind of his fate and talked amongst each other. Then the whole pantheon knows. Who talked about it to the greeks, complaining about their supposed "trash".

It was only a matter of time before someone made the first move.

* * *

Kratos stopped salting the deer he caught the moment someone knocked on his door. Usually, it was Atreus, and his magic would signal his arrival like a song as the creatures in the forest celebrate his return, the complete opposite of Kratos own presence.

But this aura… Oh, Kratos was more than familiar with it. He's sick of it.

Mimir too was aware of it. In fact, he's familiar with it, having met the owner of the magic few times during his tenure as Odin's advisor.

"Brother, should we summon Atreus?" It's not that Mimir had no faith in the old god's ability to cleave heads and massacre armies, but better be safe than sorry. Having the protection of an entire pantheon was always a good thing.

Especially when it concerns war.

"No" was the only answer. Kratos held out his hand and in an instant, his trusty axe was by his hand. The only reminder of the Laufey he loved. A shame that Jötunn of the previous cycle wasn't reformed with their memory intact like the Gods.

He opened his door and his amber-coloured eyes meet grey. Her form had changed from when he last met her, yet her presence speaks for her. The second god he hates the most amongst the pantheon, yet also the one he regretted killing the most. Her arrival was met with a gust of wind that turned the kindling fire of the hearth into a blaze. Beside her stood a little girl with fire for eyes. Unlike the fire that used to consume him, this was soft and gentle. Like the lady with grey eyes and brown hair, her presence alerted Kratos of their true identity beyond the trapping of mortal flesh.

"Athena" Kratos didn't hide his loath to her for torturing him with her ghostly visions and her curse of that made him unable to fade on his own terms, even if the last one allowed him to meet Faye and have Atreus.

"Kratos" Athena neutrally replied.

"Hello Nephew" the little lady greeted, Kratos only nodded at her.

"Oh my it has been a while since we got guest, aren't we?" Mimir greeted them from his place at Kratos' hips. Kratos only grimaced, inwardly pissed at Mimir's seemingly overjoyed tone. However, Kratos also knew Mimir couldn't help it. He was an ambassador, and he got the tendency to defrost situation.

"Is that you, little Puck?" Athena rose an eyebrow, she knows him from his days as Robin Goodfellows, tricking mortals in her domain before she shooed him away. Even after he becomes the politically powerful Mimir, Athena still called him that.

"Ah my lady, you embarrassed me in front of Lady… Hestia, was it? It's been a while since I saw any of your family members aside from this big grump" Mimir already switched to ancient Greek, though his accent was thick it was still excellent.

"Enough, Head" Kratos dismiss Mimir, as much as he can to a decapitated head that can't move. Mimir got the idea and stay silent.

"Why are you here?" Kratos tone was even, only his eyes betrayed his barely contained rage. It was never directed at Hestia, however, as his attention was singularly on Athena. A small amount of hail rotate around the axe head and Kratos hand turned white from gripping the handle and the small amount of frost covering it.

Athena studied the foreign weapon, curious at the magic of the north. Dwarven craft and Jötunn magic combined to create such an excellent weapon. If Ares was here, no doubt he would try prying that weapon away from Kratos hand, if Kratos didn't scatter his essence first. In fact, she was too into it that Hestia took her chance.

"Can't I see my dear Nephew?" Hestia innocently asked.

Kratos merely grunted at that. What could that mean is anyone's guess.

Hestia never went to war against Kratos, nor she was rude or antagonistic. In fact, she tried to help Kratos by the means of providing a home in a metaphorical sense, but Kratos was already adamant in his desire to ruin the Gods for what he'd done to him. In the end, Hestia grew weaker and seemingly fade as much of humanity were decimated by the disaster. But now she said, unironically, that she merely wanted to see him? Her "dear nephew"? Preposterous.

Athena put a hand on her shoulder, a silent message pass between the two of them. Hestia back off, looking around at the quiet forest.

"We are here to confirm your existence and deliver a message"

"Hermes is the messenger. Or has he not recover his legs?" Low blow from Kratos. Even Mimir start whispering to the ash-covered warrior, mainly because he didn't want to get caught in the crossfire of the battle between two War God. Thankfully Athena ignored that.

"Peace Kratos, we only wish to inform you that Zeus wants to meet you here" Athena extend her hand, offering a small piece of paper.

Kratos grasp it and read it, before using his rage to turn it into ash.

"Leave," said Kratos.

"Will you go there, Spartan?" Athena asked. She had her responsibility to their father, after all.

Kratos already went for the door and about to slam it in front of their face, but Hestia, even with her small form, prevented him to do so, using her little hands to block the door.

"The world has changed a lot, nephew, don't you wish to end your self-imposed exile? There is a place for you somewhere in the world"

Hestia's fiery eyes glow so warmly, it turned his home into something….. more bearable. It was only like this when Atreus was home. When the family was whole. Kratos shrugged the feeling off him. The gods have their tricks. There were virtually no difference between Hestia and Aphrodite in this regard.

"Hmph… Men and beasts change, but not the gods"

"Yet, here you are, rising a son who will not kill his father" Athena's words struck him like a blade, his eyes flickered for a moment, a savage rage flashed before the gods, "You have stopped the cycle. You are our proof"

"An exaggeration"

"Until Gods grow good? The legend might be suppressed among the mortals but we heard the rumour. You break fate to ensure it happens" Athena argued as Hestia nodded, a bit too fast to Kratos' liking.

It was a deafening silence that followed before Kratos took Hestia's hand away from the door. Kratos let out a small sigh, although not low enough that the gods' hearing wouldn't pick up. The forest seemed to breathe with him, the Greek gods now realized, as the forest lost their sounds a while ago, back when he noticed their presence.

"Tell _him_ that I will be there tomorrow, now leave my home" Kratos closed the door with a small thud, Leaving the gods with the sound of crickets and the dim light from the runes surrounding the door

* * *

Seiðmaðr: Wizard, Seiðr user

Føroyar-Loki: Loki of Faroe Island

Author's note:

Yeah, this will involve a LOT of alteration with Riordan's canon, mainly the norse mythology.


	2. Chapter 2: Hunting and Magic

Chapter 02: Hunting and Magic

While Kratos was dealing with his estranged relatives, A God of Magic was hunting for his next meal. Atreus was hidden in the dense leaves, waiting for the poor animal. The world has changed a lot and Atreus already mastered all forms of magic of his former realms many centuries ago. However, He never used his godly power in his travel aside from occasional monster hunting. In fact, he still used his old wolf-skin clothes, even though he had the illustrious and magical armour of Jötnar befitting a god of his status. Well... Former status.

"Father, when will we eat?" on his shoulder, Hel whined.

"Shh, Daughter, one should be patient when hunting their food"

"But father, we are gods!"

His daughter was never a patient girl and had smugness that rivalled even the King of Gods, especially during her tenure as ruler of Helheim. Yet, despite what she called "living in the mud", she followed him around instead of staying home with his father, where she can sleep comfortably in her specially designed and craftily enchanted room. Oh well, Hel was cold and his father was fire, he blamed that fact which made his daughter uncomfortable being near Kratos. Fenrir was his father's favourite. After all, Kratos could take Fenrir with him for a hunt and Fenrir just loved chewing bones. It was a case of two simple people who weren't that hard to please meeting each other. In this case though, while Atreus hunt, the wolf turned himself into a pup and sleep inside his clothes. Jörmungandr… well… that lazy son of his would rather spend his entire day curled up and asleep. Like today. On top of his head.

Really, despite being a grown… beings? His children would rather act like babies when he was around. One of them was even a father! He had grandchildren for gods sake. Said grandchildren were Skoll and Hati, who after losing their job in first Ragnarök, would rather chase each other in an eternal game of tag. He attributed it to old Odin's brainwashing that screwed up their brain.

Apart from his most famous children, he has other two children of renown he's not really close to. The eight-legged horse named Sleipnir and a monstrous fusion of wood, elk, and human naming herself Móðir.

Sleipnir was born between him and Sigyn, his old flame. Born when they got freaky and fu… fornicate in a certain way that they agreed not to talk about it for eternity. It broke his heart to know that Sigyn was never interested in him as a person, but rather as Loki as she was doing so under the order of Odin. That was a long story, and not with a pleasant ending. In short, He ended up with a son who would rather gallop throughout the realms than meet him, as Sleipnir was given an impulse to only feel happiness from being ridden by the first cycle Odin, who was killed by Fenrir under his order. Yeah.

How he got Móðir was pretty tragic too. For a time after Sigyn, he became the lover of Duraþrór, one of the four dwarves tasked with the protection of the realms, in which they chew on the Yggdrasil's branches, preventing it from growing too large and smash the dimensions into pieces. Duraþrór was a sensual lover, and please Loki greatly. Eventually, he had a daughter from the relationship, One who grew up to become Móðir. After she went full evil and start a cult centred around sacrificing humans in the worst way possible, Loki sealed her in a forest in Sweden. That act created a rift between him and Duraþrór, one he hadn't been able to mend. Even if eternity had passed, He doubted Duraþrór would forgive him.

If Atreus was anything like the Greek gods, his pathetic attempt at creating family would be the proof of his heritage. Thankfully, his father and his children were there. Always comforting him in dark times.

Atreus had since learned that it was easier to distract himself from his loneliness by travelling, especially after the destruction and rebirth of his old pantheon, as the Nornir erased him from the Norse history. Like the first Tyr, he visited other pantheons and trade stories there. Under a disguise of course. Most know him by a certain persona he had cultivated for centuries since the first ragnarök, using a complicated spell unique to his nature.

Back to the hunt, Atreus was after a deer of peculiarity, one who possess six golden antlers and ran as fast as Skrýmir's mailboy Hugi. A challenging prey even for god like him. That means he couldn't chase after it and to make things more difficult, it had a fast reaction time too. Atreus had to get as close as he could to have any chance.

Finally, his patience was rewarded. The creature arrived near his hiding spot, eating the grass. Not knowing that the ancestor of wolves was about to sink his teeth in.

Shock arrow struck true, even with the deer's fast reaction time. It hit the creature right in the backside, paralyzing it. Atreus leapt from the tree and load another mistletoe arrow, yellow lightning emitted itself out of the head. Even with his children around his body, the god was deceptively fast. The second arrow hit the front left leg, leaving it at Atreus' mercy as it weakened him too much to do anything.

"þruma!"

Atreus let loose another arrow, and the deer met its certain end. Almost.

Silver arrow met the green mistletoe head on, and little shockwave of divine energy made the world tremble around them. The source of the divine energy and owner of the silver arrow pull out the lightning arrows with little struggle. It was a little child. Seems like the same age as his daughter. But Atreus knew the moment he laid his eyes on her that she was ancient. Perhaps even more than him and his daughter, whose aura slip through and lower the temperature around her, a sign that she was a little bit nervous. Hel was never good at controlling her own ability, even after a thousand years of training. She inherited Kratos' rage but had not acquired the self-control or discipline.

As her companions gathered around them, Atreus realized whose animal he was dealing with. The eyes, the arrow, the deer. Atreus wanted to smack himself in the head, he forgot the symbol of one of the Olympian. His father would scold him for being so careless.

The little girl with silver eyes gaze hardened and Atreus instantly aware that she had cast a spell on him. A spell of shapeshifting. Too bad it was impossible to curse a master of magic and shapeshift with a similar spell to one he had practically mastered. To her credit, her expression never changed, despite internally being surprised.

"State thy name, boy" the little girl's companion, a beautiful woman, although not as pretty as the little girl or his daughter. A demigod or nature spirit, Atreus guessed. Behind her was eleven more of the little girl's companion and their wolves. The wolves seemed to be nervously sniffing the air, doubtlessly because of his child who rest in his clothes.

"I see no boy here" it was Kratos lesson that taught him to not let himself be degraded by anyone, more so if they were gods. "or lady, aside from my daughter"

"You….."

"Zoë, he is anything but a man" the little girl cut off her lieutenant's rant as a sense of unease fell upon her. It was the little girl who rode his father's shoulder. The father himself seems to be masking his true nature well, but the girl… It was almost like she was flaunting her status. It was like Aphrodite, except Aphrodite's presence was hardly as unsettling. It was…. Evil? Dark? In a bizarre way it reminded her of her uncle, although this girl wasn't dark enough in nature (discounting her legs of course) to be a demigod of Hades.

Little did they knew that death herself walk the realm of the living.

The young lady's form shimmered around before settling into an age similar to his. Her silver eyes trailed on his form, judging her enemy.

"This deer belongs to me, I demand a payment in return for what you did"

Atreus smiled at that. A little bit of negotiation never hurt. He decided to indulge the goddess.

"What do you have in mind?"

Let it be known that the twin sun and moon gods, children of Leto, had a subconscious dislike for the snakes due to the python and in hindsight, Loki should've predicted that.

The goddess load her arrow, "Your snake pet would suffice"

Atreus' smile, the girls would later agree begrudgingly that it was an absolute heartbreaker in spite of the scars on his left side of the face and his mouth, was gone in an instant.

"No"

"How dare you refuse…" one of the companions of the goddess took offence on behalf of their lady master, but she stopped as the weird little girl on the man's shoulder cut her off.

"You peasants think you can overcome us… How amusing" the little girl tone was laced with malice, completely the opposite to the way she spoke next, _"Get up brothers, they want to make a meal out of us"_

as soon as Hel finished speaking in the ancient language of the Jötnar, the rest of Loki's brood jump into each other's defence.

The tiny little puppy growled, climb out of his comfortable sleeping area and land on top of the grass with a small thud. It was kinda cute for the hunters until he transformed into a black wolf the size of a horse. His fur emitted steam and gained reddish hue as spartan rage boil his blood. His jaw parted a little, showing a blaze that threatened to explode out his mouth. The wolves howled at him, only to receive a snarl that silent them completely.

The little snake yawned before he also jumped out of Atreus' head. Growing into a snake big enough to coil around and shield his father, even though his father didn't need it. Artemis noted its fangs, dripping with reddish poison, and normal human tongue. Its eyes were terror incarnate, red glowing serpentine orbs, which looked like it was made out of Tartarus himself.

The little girl already let go of her father's shoulder and stand on her own horribly deformed legs, blackened and rotten enough to reveal the white of her bones. Her appearance shifted into someone of her father's age, clad in a tattered white dress. As she walked in front of the snake, her movement caused her legs to drop black blood and immediately life ebbed away from lifeforms around her, leaving behind a trail of death and frost. The huntresses, even when they were far away from the girl, could feel their soul being pulled into her slowly as her power slip into the soil. Their only saving grace is the partial immortality bestowed upon them by their goddess.

The hunters found themselves trembling slightly, inwardly cursing themselves for fearing a mere monster. Little did they knew that the creatures in front of them weren't just monsters, but world-ending deities.

Loki himself was still in a relaxed posture, although he was but a flick away from summoning his trusty knife.

"I don't think that's possible. You see this boy right here" Atreus stroke Jörmungandr's head affectionately, 'whispering who is the good boy' and to the hunter's bewilderment, it purred in response "is my son. I'm afraid none of us is willing to part with each other"

Artemis didn't know why she's surprised by that, after all even her own families gives birth to beings referred to as "monsters" or deity with monstrous appearance, but not like them.

"So, should we compromise, Lady Artemis? Or should we duke it out and hope for the best?"

'How can a being like them exist and not a single line of our stories tells us of who they are?' Artemis thought as her eyes narrow to each of the family members. There were stories about a god and his three monstrous children after all. The Norse Lord of Chaos, the God of Lies, Loki.

But then, Artemis also sense a distinctive greek god aura rolling out of him, now that he wasn't hiding his true self anymore. Was this one of his tricks? If so, then this Loki fellow must be a high-level magic user, even greater than Hecate, for not even Hecate can fake other pantheon's divine aura.

That was, of course, assuming the being in front of her Loki in the first place. Either way, it was not relevant to Artemis. Her deer was shot, that's what matters to her.

"You and me. One on one. The first to spill blood the winner"

"And the prize?"

"Our animals"

The old Atreus would refuse vehemently, even let his rage take control of his actions or at least snarl at her for calling his son animal. However, he hadn't been just Atreus for a long time.

 _"Boy, what do you think?"_ Atreus switched to the old language, masterfully keeping his emotions in check. He would never bet another one's life, not his own blood at least.

Hel and Fenrir looked like she's about to about to protest, but their father's icy blue eyes shut them down. They turned to Jörmungandr, hoping he would refuse.

 _"I trust you father"_ the snake spoke in his deep and booming voice, which seems to reverberate around in the air. He gave his consent, fully having faith in his father's abilities.

 _"Very Well"_ Føroyar-Loki closed his eyes. He had a backup plan in case he lost. A little bit of distraction and transportation spell would suffice. But then again, it would hurt his pride to lose against a god of the very pantheon that drove his father to madness.

 _"I will not stand for this"_ Hel hissed at her father.

 _"Have faith in me, daughter, just like when I free you from your binds in Helheim"_ Atreus answered, shutting her up for good.

Atreus turned his eyes to the wolf, who averted his eyes in return and flattened his ears.

 _"It's okay Hróðvitnir"_ Atreus whisper to him in a way that none but the wolf would hear, _"I will not fail"_

That seemed to lift the wolf's mood, as its ears perked back up and its tail wagging.

"We agree"

The rest of the hunters tend to the Ceryneian Hind while their mistress moved with the boy away from them. The wolf and his sister stare at them hatefully. The hunters also return it in equal intensity, if not with the same might.

"What is your name, stranger? How can a god like you manage to stay under our radar for so long?" Artemis asked him, while she summoned her trusty knives.

Loki Fárbautason let go of the shackle that bound his ability, letting his godhood spread across his body. Inwardly, Artemis grimaced. He was definitely a major god. This wouldn't be an easy fight.

"My name is of no concern to you, Phoebe Artemis," said Atreus as he summoned his trusty knife, made by Kratos' own hand. Atreus channel his fire, a skill that he had learned a long time ago, and added a little bit of his lineage's rage to it. The fire gained ethereal orange-ish glow.

 _"Hmph, no matter. I will make you spit it out when we're done"_ ancient greek rolled off her tongue and to her surprise, the man answered in return.

 _"No... no you will not"_

The wolf-skin morphed into grey cloth and iron-silver armour, leaving the fur only on his shoulder, his left armguard seemed like it was made out of stone, and his right arm was left unclothed below the elbow, showing his runic tattoo. The red cloth on his waist was familiar to Artemis, a greek design. He was a walking anomaly. Was he another product of a male god's infidelity with the Norse?

Or was there a deified demigod that escaped the Olympians' notice?

"Shall we begin?" Atreus lift his right eyebrow. Artemis nodded.

In a flash of silver, the gods disappear from their spot. A shockwave hit the hunters and Loki's brood in the face as the forest raged around them.

* * *

The hunters' jaw dropped as they couldn't believe what happened in front of them.

Artemis, an Olympian with a powerful domain, was brought to her knees. Her cheek was stained in gold. Meanwhile, the man in front of had also fell into his knee. He got a nasty bruise on the right side of his face but otherwise hadn't spilt a drop of blood. Both were panting.

"You tricked me" Artemis stand up, positively murderous while the boy in front of him summoned his bow, in time to counter her arrows with his own.

* * *

A few minutes ago

The fight had evolved into a battle of shapeshifting. Artemis shifted several times into a form tiger, bear, and a horned deer, her fang was closer and closer to Atreus skin. Atreus himself had changed into a form of a wolf, snake, and an eagle several times.

As they realized that it brought them nowhere, both morphed back into humanoid form, wielding their bows and arrows.

"Ljósta!"

Several times Atreus fired pure light of Álfheimr towards the goddess of the Moon and in turn, the goddess imbued light to her arrows to blind the god.

"Úlfr Hlaup, Fálki lið, Elgr hríð, Galti Atrás!"

Atreus summoned his animal sprites; wolves, Falcons, elks, and boars; to aid him in his battle, only for Artemis to skillfully dispel them with well-placed arrow shots. Atreus felt like hitting himself as he realized how foolish it was to summon them, he was fighting a goddess with a main domain in hunting after all.

Artemis sprinted forward in a speed that defied the rules of physics, capitalizing on Atreus momentary distraction after he summoned his animals. Artemis' trusty twin silver knives slash at the god with precision only reserved for a goddess like her.

Only for the god to turn into a blue frost mist.

She instinctively rolled away, missing shock arrow by hair's breadth.

"I won" he declared.

"What are you talking about?" Artemis was confused, but when she looked at her stomach, she was met with a non-magical arrow piercing her navel.

"How can this be?" Artemis exclaimed, missing Atreus who already close in on her scratch her right in her right cheek, before delivering a spin kick to the goddess' chest, but the goddess retaliated by delivering a nasty strike using her bow.

As the arrow that lodged itself deep in her stomach disappeared in the same blue frost mist, Artemis knew the god had tricked her.

"Now I have won," the god said with his cheeky smile, even while holding his face.

It was definitely impossible. But Artemis had never wanted to brutalize a man as she did at the time.

* * *

"A win is a win" Atreus proclaimed as Artemis fired an arrow after an arrow to him. He had since switched into using his sword to block the arrows. It only served to increase his opponent's anger and shame.

"You tricked me!" Artemis fired a particularly strong arrow filled to the brim with her power, it exploded in Atreus' face as he tried to knock it away. Atreus was pushed back several meters, his eyes turned silvery-white and red fiery aura danced around chaotically. Red Ichor, a byproduct of the previous era, seemingly frozen solid before it evaporated from his skin.

A red storm had taken a shape in the sky above as red snow had fallen despite the season being spring. The forest seemed to glow increasingly silver in turn as the air was charged with pure energy. The atmosphere suffocated the hunters.

"You Bastard!" Artemis was visibly glowing, a telltale sign that she was about to enter her divine form, completely forgetting the fact that her hunters were in their presence. Atreus looked at his serpentine child for a moment, understanding passed between them before he let his power consume his body.

Some humans swore that at the day they saw two humanoid nuclear blasts decimating the forest covered in thick mist but the government assure them it was only a tornado. None of them lied, but none of them knew the truth either.

* * *

Ljósta: To strike, used when Atreus shoot light of Alfheim

þruma: Thunder, shock arrow

Úlfr Hlaup: Wrath of Wolves

Fálki lið: Falcons dive

Galti Atrás: Boars stampede

Elgr hríð: Storm of Elks

Hróðvitnir: Famous Wolf. It was a joke/insult among the Jötnar because Fenrir is actually thirsty for dem attention. Atreus use it as a term of endearment of course

Author's note

I'm sorry, I just had too much fun writing both of them. Rest assured this only shows how the gods finally meet. After the third part of this prologue, we will move on to our "true" main character. This is actually two chapters, as you might notice that I planned a cliffhanger in the middle of it.

Atreus and Kratos, as they were not from the same era as to when the god reborn, didn't inherit the same type of power. This can be seen from their Ichor, still bleeding red. But make no mistake, their blood was still that of a divine being and they couldn't die. The travelling gods also posses divine forms since they invest their power in their domains. The mechanism was different than the other gods, however, and for the same reason, Atreus can disguise himself as a mortal without other gods even noticing (though given that he travel often with Hel, it was pretty much moot).

Atreus knife is still the same one given to him by his old man. Made from metals from Greece (Adamantine) and metals in Scandinavia (perfect jötnar steel, he didn't know that of course). If it was made by the hand of people like the Huldra Brothers or Hephaestus, it would be much more awesome. Atreus really like it though, so he never asked for upgrades. As it was made by Kratos, it was an excellent conductor of Spartan Rage.

Atreus sword is legendary. He also likes to call his sons BOI.

And yes Mimir is still a decapitated head but he's formidable when he wanted to be. Don't fuck with Puck. I had an idea where Mimir met his Robin Goodfellow friends in Oireland, but that would be much much later.

Also, Sigyn. The Sigyn from Magnus chase will appear in (distant) future and I plan to expand her character a bit. There is a reason why she is both called the victorious girlfriend and incantation-fetter after all.

The gods remember their past, but they also have changed a lot since then. Odin and Thor, for example, has lost some of the… Ehem… more villainous qualities. they were humbled by their experience is the old war. Tyr in turn had become more active in preserving the peace, turning more into a "police force" instead of diplomatic (he also lost his arm in the process but he was still OP even for a god so….). Freya split, with one part becoming Aesir and the other Vanir. They are still the same person, however. It was fucking complicated and have something to do with Odin. Baldur has mellow out after his experience and the fact that Frigg gone to Hel and back to modify the Vanir magic into something bearable to Baldur. But he still died. Fate is a bitch. Magni and Modi… Well… Magni is extremely humbled by the experience and Modi has become somewhat better since Thor started caring for both of them. The new maiden/man of apocalypse, Asa-Loki, is aware that Ragnarok had happened before, but he's not privy to the details.

Kinda hope some of you finds out about the not-so-secret reference I put in the story. Ohohohoho. Hint: It's not about the novel or the game.

Fuck I'm rambling too much. Fingers crossed it will happen again.

Lastly, I'm honoured by your review, but If possible please give me criticism. I use my writing to improve my english after all. Also I notice when I re-read my own stories that I tend to rambling about things that's not important to the current situation in that story, I'm sorry for that. I have that little attention deficit OH SHINY mental state. Same reason why I hardly continue my other stories. So a warning: You never know if I'm going to continue writing this. The good thing? I love God of War, Percy Jackson, and I worship Wotan, neat huh?


	3. Chapter 3: Lightning

Chapter 03: Lightning

Kratos arrived at the pub, wearing one of the few modern clothes he had. A white shirt, blue jeans, and a brown jacket. Atreus bought them these in case they need to blend in. Kratos being Kratos, he instead opted to never go out of his wood unless it was absolutely necessary.

Food? Plant it, grow it, harvest it, hunt it, kill it. Easy.

Warmth? Cut the nearest tree and chop it to pieces, throw it into the hearth, light it up. No problem.

Entertainment? Who are you kidding, this is Kratos. Well, those Askwee whatever creature had been testing his patience lately, and Kratos admittedly took them on with a little bit of glee.

Kratos wanted nothing from mortals and in turn, they needed nothing from his forest. Really. Mortals didn't need what they couldn't see, own, or exploit. Atreus took care of that a long time ago.

It had something to do with something called federal law, but it flew above Kratos' head when Mimir explained it to him. Not that Kratos would admit that.

Back to the pub. Kratos had taken some of the modern money. Unknown to him, Atreus enchanted his clothes so it would record things around it just so he and his cute little children have entertainment of seeing a puzzled Kratos. Would his confusion be reflected in that grim expression or would that frown of him never break?

Sadly for Atreus, it was neither, for Kratos found the one who summoned him the instant he opened the door. The man with a dark blue pinstripe suit and massive beard rivalling his own stared at him from one of the tables in the corner. In his hand was something that was obviously not beer. Kratos guessed it was one of Dionysus fine wine. It was the eyes, however that made Kratos knew he was the one who summoned him. Gone were the pure white eyes, replaced by electrical blue orbs, but the same melancholic gaze was there. The same stare that made Kratos realize, during one of his brooding sessions in Scandinavia, that the kind old gravedigger who saved his life, the healer who gifted him flame of Apollo, and the man who killed his entire people were one and the same. He was played like a fiddle.

Kratos took a seat opposite of the man, not bothering with the glass in front of him as produced his homemade mead bottle from his jacket. he had developed a taste for fine mead from his time in the north and Mimir was a good teacher in making alcoholic beverages. In return, Kratos let him sip on his own recipe for wine. Mimir was never more grateful for him.

If the Lightning God was offended, he didn't show it. He merely took the wine back for himself. There was no situation in the world where you waste Dionysus' stock.

"Hello, my son" to normal ears Zeus words were spoken with a calm disposition, but when you were a god, you learned to channel your emotions elsewhere.

Yes, Kratos definitely heard a strike of lightning there.

"Father" Kratos replied in return. It was more silence that followed as Kratos drink quarter of the bottle. If Zeus wasn't mistaken, Kratos used to be a much lighter drinker in his youth, but now that he was a god, he definitely could hold his drink.

"Why are you here, Zeus?" Now that was familiar territory, though there was no venom when he called Zeus by his name. A good start.

"Why not? It has been a while since we last met, I want to see how far Callisto's child has moves up in the world" Zeus replied honestly. Kratos only drink more in response. Zeus gestured to the bottle, asking Kratos to pour him some.

Kratos glared but complied. He emptied the bottle before producing another. It was enchanted Jacket connected to his entire supplies, after all.

The mead was dry and burn Zeus' throat like a drought in California. It was not superior or inferior to Dionysus' wine, it was satisfying in the way the wine couldn't. Zeus would love to know the recipe.

"You were never one to visit his spawn to know his news," said Kratos. It was mildly surprising for Zeus to see his son speaking in a more civilized way than he remembered, it was nice. "Not unless he threatened your rule in some way"

It was obvious who Kratos was referring to.

Deimos, another son of Zeus by Callisto, who Ares named his own son after. One of the two marked sons. But not the one referred to by the prophecy.

"Perhaps…." Zeus looked somber for a moment, "But then again, you were my favourite son"

"If that is what you do to your favourite, your children would dread to know what you do to your unfavored ones" Kratos tongue was sharp and losing his shouting voice only deepen the cut.

"It was the fear" Zeus attempted to make an excuse, but Kratos would have none of it.

"The evil only brought out what already existed in the first place" after all, Kratos was still suicidal after he possessed the power of hope.

Zeus sighed, implicitly conceding to Kratos' point. Any other child of his would face his wrath, but in this case, it was he who feared this child's wrath.

"Why are we here, Zeus?"

"Nothing. It was a whim of a moment. Hera forbode me from doing this, fearing for our family" more thunder and this time, rain.

"But, I heard the tale. The impossible tale. Of a foreign fire god breaking destiny in the northern land. Then I heard about this forest. I knew it was you" Zeus smiled. For a split second, he looked so…. Ancient. He looked like his actual age.

"But you were right, of course. I come here to ask you that you will remain at safe distance from our family and to be neutral should anything happen"

Kratos knew the real meaning behind them. A truce, and a prophecy. If he meddled in the Greek affairs like before, the world might end again. Bah, as if he wanted anything to do with the Gods.

"Is that it? If so, then I will return to my abode" Kratos was about to stand up, but Zeus stopped him.

"Wait!" Zeus almost grabbed his arm, but he had enough sense to stop midway, lest he lost his own.

"What is it?" Kratos sat back, annoyed. It's not that he couldn't trust Mimir to guard the house, but the creatures there really love their curses.

"I have something" Zeus reach out to his pocket and pull out a picture. "This should be of interest to you"

Kratos didn't register the face on the picture at first. But then it clicked in. The dark chocolate hair, the brown eyes, the hair, the contour of her face. It couldn't be, but here she was.

"What sorcery is this?" Kratos stared at Zeus with a dangerous glint, "Is this your threat? A way to reduce me to a servant of your whim?"

Zeus' expression was the epitome of disbelief, he wasn't so low to do that to an innocent child "What? No. I only want to inform you that she's alive and well"

Kratos looked at the picture again, then to Zeus, then back to the picture again "How is this possible?"

"Well... Athena told me that after you left, she escaped the underworld and managed to gain a sliver of hope. She somehow becomes a minor goddess from that experience. She and eight more goddesses with similar circumstance inspire what's left of the mortals to rebuild. It was her tireless work that allowed us to come back, although the Moirai messed up with the process and we were forced to endure a cycle repeating itself" Zeus then proceed to tell him more of what he knew of her, how she's still remembering the past cycle and angry at him.

"Oh she almost joined Ares in the hands of marriage, but I forbid both of them" Zeus couldn't be too careful with Ares, who knew if he still held grudges or dream to overthrow his own father. Power of hope was a dangerous thing and Zeus didn't know if it can be inherited. (Note: Yes it is)

Kratos took it in well, his frown only deepened when the mention of Ares and marriage came through.

"You know if you want to, I can arrange a meeting" Zeus shake his glass as a cue, and his son poured him again, a bit less this time. Stingy brat.

"No" Kratos answered in a hurry.

"Oh well, you know where to find me" Zeus drink Odin's favourite with great satisfaction while Kratos digested the new information.

"By the way, you wouldn't know the location of the Blade of Olympus, would you?" Zeus stared at him, hopeful.

Kratos snorted. He never changed. Kratos summoned the blade in a flash of blue, though no mortals were aware of it. It looked just as Zeus remembered, if not cleaner. It was obviously modified, as there are new things added to it.

"It is yours" Kratos hand him the blade like it was a pest.

He really hated the weapons he gained from that cursed land of his, but they followed him around. Two managed to be much more than just a nuisance to him, this one and the chaos blades.

Not that he didn't try throwing it out of his domain, but they **always** find their way back. In fact, they cause a lot of misfortune along the way. No wonder Zeus died by the same blade. It was an embodiment of bad luck.

"Curious…." Zeus studied the strange writings on the edges of the blade and peculiar tree-like mark carved on the opposite side of the handle. Zeus' hand hovered on the tip of the blade as it lost its blue glow. He frowned.

"It has been drained of any trace of my power…. And what is this…Tyr's kin?" Zeus looked at him quizzically. Obviously, this wayward son of his had done something with the blade, but the travelling god remained silent on the matter.

Little did Zeus knew that the blade made Kratos known in the land of Norsemen as Miðgarðr Fárbauti, for he used the lightning blade in the last second to drain Odin of his seiðr ritual enhanced power, just enough for the wolf to fulfil their destiny. The same blade was also used by Atreus, of all people, to prevent the death of Fenrir by the hands of Víðarr after Kratos was mortally wounded rescuing him when he fought Heimdall, permanently breaking the prophecy in the process.

"I can't use this" not without draining his power into the blade again. Besides, he had a new symbol of power. his bolt, a relatively new weapon compared to the blade, but not inferior to it. It must be his power that rested previously in the blade that allowed him to become so powerful in the first place. He also realized that his brothers might rebel if he gained a new symbol of power, It was really his greed for power talking for him.

"You really made this blade yours," Zeus remarked before handing it back to the hairless god. Kratos only frowned before sending the blade away where it came from.

"So…." Zeus really didn't know what to say. It was awkward enough that his lust for power shifted his priority in a second, but then he had to continue the conversation in some way. He couldn't just end it there. "How's the northern land?"

"It was cold and harsh" Kratos answered.

"And the gods?" Zeus had met some of them, One of them the counterpart of his son (and his own, since he possessed the domain of justice). but there was a difference between talking in a diplomatic relationship and seeing the real deal in their domain.

"Walking the mortal realm, sowing discord and murder" the most feared of Zeus' spawn answered, not a bit interested in Zeus (frankly) pathetic attempt at chit-chat.

"So they are savages?" Zeus replied, then he laughed "Hah, Those northerners are always inferior to us!"

Kratos' eyes were as cold as the steel of his axe as a memory of Faye flashed in his mind. Zeus missed those as he revelled in his pride.

"We are no different"

Zeus' laugh abruptly came into a halt.

"Surely that's your hatred talking, my son" or a projection, Zeus bit back the last part.

Kratos lips turned upward and somehow it put fear in the thunder god's stomach. Kratos' smiling was a jarring image in itself, but this was not done in good intention. It was a mocking, hateful smile.

"Is it? You spent nights with mortals, some of them while you were under the disguise of their husband. Your wife punished them and your children severely. Artemis killed and curse men and women who displeased her. Ares destroyed countless mortal lives for his wars" Kratos' voice was steadily increasing, although not to a level where it could be considered a shout.

"Finally, the quest for Ambrosia. Yes. I know that. Athena told me. All of you participated. Hades even cursed that barbarian's father to make him his champion" the air grew hotter in the pub, some of them even went out when it was clear that none of the staff knew what happened to the air conditioning.

"Declare yourself superior to the your neighbour, your demigod children, the monsters they hunt, and the mortals all you want" Kratos moved closer to his father's face, his eyes showed the fire that the Olympians come to fear in the previous cycle "But the truth is, You are no different to those chained in Tartarus"

"You.." Zeus' anger was rising as he heard the last part, an insult that he couldn't just accept. To say that he was the same as Kronos was tantamount to de-legitimizing his rule and calling him King Cannibals. Kratos however, was in no way interested in hearing his defence.

"We are done here" Kratos downed the rest of his second bottle, then slam it into the table. He stood up, walking to the exit. "Goodbye, Father. May we never meet again"

For a time Zeus just sat there unmoving. Unblinking even. In anger at first, from Kratos sheer disrespect, in confusion then as he digested the event, then in sorrow. It took a while, but in the end, Zeus realized that he came for nothing.

A moment was all it needed to close a door forever.

* * *

Preview (will change if needed)

Mimir's eyes flashes and portal to another realm open. "Should we really do this?", the decapitated head voiced his concerns.

"Hmph, Blood Mead is only as good as the blood we use in production, and the best one is of lightning dragons" Kratos answered with a finality in his voice. Mimir cursed the fact that he taught the old god his recipe.

Suddenly a green flash happened outside their home, the forest seemed to brighten and the birds chirped joyfully. Then comes a hurried knock. "Father! Father!"

Atreus? It's been a while. What was it? 12 years? 15 years? Kratos hardly counted them these days.

Kratos opened a door and his son, thin as he is, managed to shake Kratos with a face that said: I am so fucked I don't even know it.

"Father, I.. I mean we, we got a problem!"

"Boy... Relax... Breathe" Kratos removed Atreus' hands from his shoulder and placed his own on his son's. It was difficult because Atreus keep shifting his form the more agitated he was. His son losing his composure after all these centuries made all the alarm in Kratos' head went off.

"What sort of problem, Lad? Surely it can't be bigger than the last one" Mimir joked. Atreus didn't laugh. Or smile. He only stared at his father with the worried eyes that he was familiar with. It was the same as his when he looked at the mirror after Atreus had done some stupid shit or fell into enemy's trap.

"Speak, Atreus" Kratos demanded, as his son's form shifted. Atreus draw a short breath, then exhale it softly. Knowing his son, it was his way of gathering courage.

"I have a demigod son and he's in greek demigods camp"

"What?"

* * *

Author's **note**

Review this story or I will go to Valhalla. Kidding. But seriously, review this.

Fárbauti: Lightning, Cruel Striker, or "He who strikes with dangerous blow"

Miðgarðr: Human realm/middle realm/middle yard

Therefore, Miðgarðr Fárbauti means "Lightning of Middle Realm", pretty neat if you ask me.

 **larrynguyen0096** : Jötunn+Æsir/Vanir=Gods. Jötnars are not in any way mortals. In my story, in GOW era at least, Jötnar existed as a foil of the gods. WhileÆsir/Vanir have the gift of immortality, power over domains, and overall godhood, they lack Youth, which is why they need the apple of Idunn. Jötnar lack immortality itself, yet possess the same power to control aspects of the world and have the gift of longevity (which is why Faye died of old age but not as old saggy grandma...Now I feel weird). Æsir/Vanir with Jötnar heritage allowed them to enjoy both, giving Thor of old significant advantage among his brothers.

Also, the Norse godhood was radically different than Greek. They can exist without prayers or civilization (Odin destroying his entire follower in Miðgarðr pose no threat to him). They embody and command aspects of the worlds and their death would bring imbalance to their world, yet they do not possess the divine form gained from pooling their power into one spot like the Olympians. Mind you, this is in no way making them weaker than Greek Gods. Olympians would fight for their life if Æsir comes knocking and vice versa. It does, however, become the source of Olympians' arrogance to their neighbour on the north, and these two pantheons do not consider one another true "gods", sort of no true Scotsman situation. More to that will be explained later.

In this canon, the fates, when their entire pantheon was crushed beyond repair, sort of hit a reset button that shuffle elements of the 'story' of the world up. As the result of Nornir tampering with the very fabric of the universe, modern era (Magnus Chase timeline) Gods _and_ Jötnar needs the apple to stay young, both are immortals, Jötnar became an "always chaotic evil" as a race and Æsir/Vanir become the good guys. The good guy role was partly because Gods have the power to mentally resist the shuffle and learn from their mistake. Jötnar, lesser beings*, and monsters minds cannot survive the process. Moreover, Cratos the God of Power and Deimos son of Ares exist as an attempt of Moirai to fill a hole left by Kratos' bloodline.

*Funnily, Dwarves were not meant to be just bunch of little guys, they were supposed to be "Lesser than", implying that they are lesser than the gods. Elves are the equivalent of nature spirit in greek. They are sort of the same but different, Ya know. True Dark Elves exist, but they were driven to almost extinction after _another_ war. The lights have been hidden so only the gods and the chosen ones of Ljósálfar have access to it. The new generation didn't know this, but everyone still uses the light to travel, they are just using a more efficient form of Tyr's temple.

YOU MAKE ME RAMBLE AGAIN GAH. It's okay though. Sorry.

Anyhoo... Kratos...

Like father like son, eh? Awkward at bonding.

Yes, Kratos possessed the blade. But the blade alone doesn't make one ultra-powerful-he-can-kill-anything powerful. Even Zeus, back when he regained possession of the blade, didn't just use that "I BANISH YOU TO THE PIT OF TARTARUS" OP attack like in the first Titanomachy. Also, the blade has been enchanted with dwarven magic, making it easier for Kratos to use. Kratos was originally reluctant to reclaim the blade, as using it forced his rage to manifest in near uncontrollable way until he's exhausted (my explanation to why Rage of Sparta only let Kratos use Blade of Olympus). Kratos has mastered its power, of course, but he's still reluctant to use anything from Greece.

How Atreus used the blade? Clever application of Seiðr magic and Spartan Rage. He was Odin's counterpart, after all.

I use British English (mostly) because my work require me to use that instead of american and I set grammarly in that way. Just in case, you know, you thought there was typo or something.


	4. Chapter 4: Fate and Accident

Remember that preview? I'm not satisfied with the chapter and redo everything. Currently, it is a three chapter's worth and I'm definitely not ready to release it. Marry Christmas by the way.

I drop the prologue part. Partly because I feel that I fail making it 3 part chapter as I intended.

* * *

Chapter 04: Fate and Accident

In the end, it was not trickery that allowed him to evade the wrath of Artemis, nor it was a simple Greek-style besting the opponent in a competition.

That goddess Artemis, she was really mad at him. Atreus didn't know if she wasn't really mean to kill her hunters along with him, but she would have if not for the fact that his serpentine son shielding the hunters and restrict the movement of his siblings, all in a span of one second.

Miðgarðsormr really was his most reliable son. Well, It was hardly surprising. The serpent was trusted even by his grandma to carry the most crucial part of the plan to avenge the Jötnar.

As Artemis regained her temporarily lost sanity, she found herself horrified at the catastrophe that lied before her.

"What have I done?" then she realized that her hunters were in the area. She looked around, but only found the unknown god who fought him and his serpentine child.

She was almost crying at the time (that, or go on even more murderous rampage), but then the serpent unravelled himself, revealing the hunters alive and well, if a bit confused. Not a single hair touched by their fight.

Artemis was never more thankful for a serpent than that day.

Of course, Artemis selectively missed the rest of Loki's brood protesting to their eldest brother over his casual…. Manhandling (snake-handling?) by restricting them with his huge body. Atreus approached his (unofficially) most beloved son, born out of his need to protect, patting him in the head.

Artemis moved so quickly it almost seemed like she's teleporting, quickly hugging her lieutenant. The rest of the hunt wasn't really sure what to do, even as the snake dragged itself and his siblings away to their father's side. Said father looked at her daughter most disapprovingly, muttering what they thought maybe another one of the stranger's foreign language.

Loki's kin recognized it as a spell, however, as Atreus had muttered "Glám-sýni", a Seiðr of Jötnar origin, both Útgarða-Loki and Føroyar-Loki's Favorite. It was a spell of illusion, and in this case, Atreus made it so that the goddess and her hunts couldn't hear Hel's incessant whining and cursing Artemis' name.

Artemis, meanwhile, looked over the absolutely scorched land, barren in all sense of the word. It was a stroke of absolute luck for both of them that the destruction didn't reach civilization (and Atreus using his power over the snowstorm to contain her divine energy, but she didn't need to know that).

"Vára... koma…. hylli…. ó-frær ….grund" Atreus chanted in a voice that Artemis came to associate with chipping sparrow, as the world was made anew. The barren land was once more filled with trees vegetation, allowing Artemis to exercise her divine authority to replenish the animal there.

"It will only last the season, I suggest having one of your aunt blessings to make the forest more permanent" Atreus informed her.

"Thank you for what you did" Artemis didn't know what to say. Not after what she did. Unknown to her, Hel was still constantly cursing the goddess every second. Atreus had to create an illusion of himself talking to the goddess while he reprimanded Hel's behaviour. It was unbecoming of a girl her age.

"You are welcome. I understand we are parting in peace, unless I'm mistaken" (Illusion) Atreus said, glad that at least he wouldn't have to go to war with someone over a deer.

Also, It would be hypocritical of Artemis to demand Jörmungandr's life over her deer, given said serpent shielding it along with her hunters.

"Yes, we shall. However, may I ask your identity, stranger?" Artemis asked again.

"Why should I answer that question?" Atreus lift a brow, and the hunters had to refrain themselves from protesting over the 'mistreatment' of their lady. Any god who could take on Artemis in combat was not to be taken lightly (Except Apollo).

"You possess our power, yet not as a whole. You bleed red, yet your divinity is unmistaken. You use foreign magic, yet that storm from before was definitely of our origin. I only want to know if my father had a relation with gods of the north, and if I have an immortal brother I do not know"

Artemis also partly asked because the god before her definitely had a domain in hunting and archery, but didn't voice it out loud.

"I am Atreus, a domainless God. I am of no relation to the Mycanean King. I do not know if your father had a relationship with Æsir or Vanir, but I assure you I'm not a product of such relationship if it happened. As for my magic, it was inherited from me by my mother, who I grew up with most of my childhood" Atreus finally answered, albeit adding white lies throughout his answer. It was better that she didn't know Atreus' true heritage, lest she came to their house and challenge his father, something that wouldn't end well for the world.

Artemis digested the answer for a second. She was no goddess of wisdom, but she sensed that something was not right his answer. No domain in hunting and archery? Bullshit. Then again she wasn't entitled to know anything about him.

"I see… Goodbye Atreus of the North, may we meet under a better circumstance"

It was really a polite way of saying "never" because there is virtually no good circumstance for Artemis to meet male.

Then, as soon as the goddess left them alone, Atreus exhaled quite loudly.

"Come out now…. I know you're there" Atreus eyed one of the empty space, much to his children's interest.

The air shifted as an old woman revealed herself, knitting a silver shirt.

"Hello, son of Kratos" the old lady looked bored as if seeing the battle as a fight between ants. The old lady would be right of course, but Atreus is the type of ants that could target a human jugular and left them dying of blood loss. The divine blood coursing through his body was more potent than most, as red as it was.

Atreus looked at the thread she was holding. Silver. He instantly realized what she was and what she had done.

"I see…. The reason why she lost her temper easily, recklessly using her divine form. it was you" Atreus took an arrow, this one looked different than the rest, as it was white with glowing blue lines, with carvings of branches in the arrow "Tell me why I should not kill you right now"

The arrow burned brightly, its colour similar to the blaze hidden inside Fenrir. It was to be expected. After all, it was the same fire he inherited from the wolf's father and his father before him. The flame of hatred itself, used to (figuratively) burn down the entire Greek civilization. Flame of hope, determination, and vengeance. Nasty combination that brought not one, but two pantheon down to its knees.

"Hoo… so you did notice after all" the goddess looked at him, impressed, if in a condescending way "and that power…"

The old form shifted into that of a young, partially naked woman with a pair of wings, wielding a staff taller than she was. Her eyes were white and soul piercing, for she had seen the what was and what would become of all things. All but the beings in front of her.

"I really want to kill you, just to spite him"

Atreus looked at her defiantly. He put back the arrow to his quiver, then he summoned an item into his hand. It was a different sword than the one he used against Artemis. For the previous one was made by a mortal from a land far in the east. The one he summoned was a beautiful green double-edged broadsword, with a handle and guard shaped like mistletoe twig, glimmering with an aura of pure divine energy. Laevateinn was the name and this sword was the one to end Heimdallr.

"Come" Atreus twirled his sword as the flame and ice became one impossible unity around the sword. A final gift from Brok and Sindri, before they join the cycle of life and reborn in the second cycle.

Lakhesis, the old goddess, looked somewhat pleased by the invitation, though she instead reduced herself to what had become her "regular" form these days.

"As expected of Kratos' son. That's good. However, we are not here to annihilate you. We are here to give you a warning. Cross us again and you will know that your father was winning by sheer luck"

"Perhaps, but you are not the only one to know the future" Atreus shot back, referring to his Jötunn heritage. The woman gave him a crooked smile.

Lakhesis of the Moirai disappeared like she was never there. Not a single blade of grass was disturbed. Atreus looked at the space she had left, disgusted and hateful. It was no secret to the people of Æsir and Vanir that the Loki of old despise Nornir for what they had forced the Jötnar through.

Until the Gods grow good... Sure, they granted it. It happened, but at the cost of turning his people into chaotic evil bent on the world's destruction.

 _"The gods of Greece sure are a dramatic bunch, aren't they?"_ Hel quipped while climbing Atreus' back as a little child again. Her thought was still on the goddess of the Hunt. Manipulation or not, the goddess had disrespected her family.

 _"Arrogant"_ Fenrir growled, before transforming back into his little form, who look at Loki with that irresistible puppy dog eyes. Atreus's hands reached for him, storing him back in his clothes. The father of wolves was satisfied with the warmth. Loki pet the tiny puppy's head fondly. Jörmungandr returned to a small form and climb to the top of Loki's head.

 _"It was to be expected. They are fated to be eternal"_ Jörmungandr hissed before he yawned and fell asleep.

 _"We really should've killed some of her hunters"_ Hel's cold touch cause a frostbite-like mark on Atreus' neck and shoulder, one of the results of her uncontrollable power.

 _"Enough of that"_ Atreus ordered, uncomfortable with the cold. He cast a spell, just to be safe because he really didn't want Hel making a mess out of his body. Frost Giant he might be, but not even him could withstand the cold of the dead without repercussions.

"Sorry, father" Hel tighten her hold over Atreus shoulder, while also removing traces of her magic. She buried her face into Atreus' hair. Usually, she only did that when she was embarrassed or afraid that Atreus was angry at her. Atreus sighed. These routine was getting old.

Really, Atreus didn't understand how this Hel, who act as a child would around him, managed to lose her virginity to Baldur and became a couple. It was… ehem…. Curious. Atreus wished he had a bleach for a brain, because the image of Baldur with 13-year-old Hel was stuck in his head.

"It's okay…. Shall we go home?" Atreus asked his only waking child, who shook her head.

Oh well…

* * *

Atreus settle for going to new york where he had bought an entire floor in an upper-class apartment. It was a well furnished enough for Hel to deem it "adequate", being immortal gave Atreus the chance to accumulate an untold amount of wealth. He only needed to create a new identity every generation or so.

Besides, having a mortal identity allowed Atreus to… indulge. He wasn't a conventional gods bound by rules and such. He could stay for an extended amount of time in the human world and none would complain, save his father and Mimir.

After dropping his children in the apartment, She left to the bar she frequently visited. It had the best mead in the country. It was still shit compared to Fjalar and Galar's blood mead, Odin's own, or her father's wine, but it would do.

Atreus watch in interest at the various human in the area. Every single one of them talked about something. Anything. Their worries and hope. The men courting women and the women either implicitly or explicitly agreeing. Drinking was the only time these people loosen their mask and Atreus delighted herself in watching mortals' true nature. Be it good or bad.

"Having a good time?" a young man… no, boy, with green eyes, blond hair, and freckles approached her from the side. It was clear at that moment that he was dared into doing it by his friends, who chuckled at his awkwardness. It was either that the friends told him that she was checking him out or it was a dare to get her number. The boy wouldn't have the courage to talk if not for one of those two.

Atreus was tempted to steal his wallet just to see how old he was, but that would ruin whatever she planned for him.

It was not in Atreus' nature to be played around in a game. It was in her nature to reward bravery, however small.

And tonight, she felt like giving a big reward. So she gave a small smile and said the most unexpected thing to the boy.

"I'm aware of the situation here and I like it more when you subvert their expectation. I don't have a phone number, but If you really want to pop your cherry tonight, come with me"

"I am not…."

"Sure you are, let's go"

The boy only jaw dropped at the answer. It was the same reaction of his friends as the red-haired girl with beautiful blue eyes lead him out of the bar, not even sparing them a glance.

The next afternoon when they went to the same class, they met the boy who told them in great detail of their holy ritual of copulation, occasionally sporting that shit eating grin, which Atreus had found to be both endearing and disgusting the previous night.

That boy wasn't that important in Atreus' immortal life, but he did manage to do something that would cause Atreus a headache down the road.

Because the boy's seed broke through the fucking magic contraception.

* * *

Author's note:

Glám-sýni: Loki's favourite. This is his go-to spell for any situation.

Vára... koma…. hylli…. ó-frær ….grund: "Spring come favour this barren land" a Vanir Seiðr that forced a land to grow plants, as a side effect the plant will die in a season.

Baldur you sick fuck! Anyway, that was a reference to Baldur's kenning: Hel's companion. Yes, Hel/Baldur is a thing and it was not one way. No it's for this story only, inspired by Baldur's kenning. That companion thingy and there is some reference of Hel's engaging in art of fornication with dead kings spark some ideas.

Hel is still a mature woman (and has a lot of problems, like the rest of Loki's children. After all, due to time travel, they only get to meet their father so far into the future and within that time, two of them were subjected to horrors no immortals ever experienced. What? you think that leg is natural?). This kid act is nothing more than making up for lost time. In fact, this is almost manipulation on their part, stemming from a subconscious fear of being left out by Atreus again.

Jörmungandr was the most capable and mature, but he's also a snek, so he'd rather sleep whenever possible.

Larrynguyen0096: At lEaSt AtREuS iS nOt RaPInG pEOpLe iN tHe fOrM Of GoLD sHoWEr. Yes, he's alike with Zeus in that regard, and his/her/it/they/apache helicopter sexuality is limitless.

Sir Something: To be honest, it was hard to make Zeus sympathetic. It was possible if you only go with GOW angle (pre-Fear Zeus was somewhat nice to Kratos, although he still plays around with mortal life), but his PJ incarnation is a different kind of an asshole.

Thanks to Vikings of Bjornstad Old Norse Dictionary, a massive help with the old Norse. Thanks to Grammarly for the typos and grammar.


	5. Chapter 5: I am not a one-day-old killer

Chapter 05: I am not the murderous baby of Odin

Hello

Hello… That's lame.

I write this journal in case I died in some shitty battle or something. It was expected of me after all. Die or becoming an immortal. Or die then becoming an immortal. Well, maybe not in that order. Maybe more than once.

What I'm about to tell you is the truth. The truth as I perceive it to be. It is up to you to interpret it in any way you like. You might think I'm insane, or this is some allegory metaphorical bullshit. Or you might think I'm exaggerating. You'd think that even at the scale of impossible life you've passed, this seems far fetched. You might be a Greek demigod and think "Oh surely this is too much. I got an einherjar cousin and there is no way this is really happening"

What? A daughter of a goddess of knowledge might be tempted to read someone's diary. You people are knowledge hoarder.

...

Shut up real-life greek human Shandy Cheek, I will write whatever the hell I want.

Sorry, my lineage's showing. I promise not to hold prejudice too much. (See, leave me alone beach boy, go play with the sand)

Where was I? Oh yeah. If this thing happens to be in the hands of your normal run-of-the-mill mortal, I beg you to leave or burn it. This is forbidden knowledge. Forget anything you've read. You don't want to be twisted around and become something you are not. Trust me.

Anyway, let me introduce myself first.

I am Vali Bodvarsson and this is how the fates want to kill me.

* * *

I watched the casket being lowered down to the ground, not a single tear on my face. Maybe I was too shocked by the suddenness of it. I don't know. I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

That headstone read

Bodvar Juliusson

Dearest Father

Mine. My father.

Everyone said it was an accident. He was drunk, making a wrong turn, crash our car. A piece of glass hit him right in the trachea, he died of bloodloss. I was saved because I took a seat right behind him.

Bullshit.

First of all, I never saw him drink, especially before driving. He's strict about rules. He's strict with me about house rules.

And, it was not how that happened. I saw it with my eyes.

We were helping this disabled girl. Her legs covered in a cast. She looked like a homeless. A junkie maybe. Father took pity of her. Said that he could drive her to her destination.

I was asleep after that for ten minutes or so.

First thing I noticed was the light. At first, I thought it was sunlight, but it was still raining. It was a flame. More accurately, a Flaming hair.

Then the claw. The fangs. The red eyes. It tore through my father's neck like it was nothing.

father tried to pry the monster away from him, silently begging for his life. The monster didn't care. It kept on sucking, all while looking down on me. A silent promise that I was next.

I remember lunging at her. Then memory was blurry after that. Our car was upside down. Father lost his life. I was taken to the hospital.

And It was how I went to the funeral.

My custody was given to Anda, my father's maid. A kind lady with prematurely grey hair it might as well be silver. It's not like my father had any close relatives. Some sneered that Anda was taking advantage of me, for father's money. That's what they say behind our back, but Anda was nothing like that. In fact, she was pretty well off on her own. Once I asked her why she agreed to become our housekeeper.

"Your father was the most generous of man. He gave me the capital to kickstart my online business long before you were born" Anda told me while she fixed the kitchen sink.

"Why were you still father's maid then?"

Anda only gave a small flash of smile, before returning to her work.

"He was rather… paranoid after you were born. He didn't trust anyone to take care of the house or you"

The most paranoid, yet he was also the kindest. Helped anyone he could help. That's what made the monster….

"Vali… Monsters don't exist"

Like the rest, Anda didn't believe me. Although, at least she believed that father was not an alcoholic.

Actually, some part of me thought it was only lip service from Anda. After all, the police report was already a gospel at this point. It awakened something in me, My father's death. Something ugly grew within, like a festering wound I couldn't treat. I became angry at anything... I was never the most outstanding of the student, but I was doing alright. D+ and C+ started to fill in my life after his death. Then I got into a fight.

"Mr. Mathers, he is but a child. It is normal for them to get into fight" Anda sit beside me, while my head was down, watching the infinitely more interesting white floor than the porky face of my principal. I always hated him. I didn't know why, but permanent slight smirk made me want to pull his teeth apart one by one.

"Maam, Vali break his jaw. He's lucky the father didn't press charges" briefly, I saw him leering at Anda with that disgusting eyes of his, oh what it would take to crush those orbs under my thumbs.

Well. My kid fight was not one that ended with one side crying. He trash-talked me for being an orphan. He would never be able to say that again.

That was the start of various school suspensions and being expelled from schools.

Anda was still the same woman as she always was. Supporting, understanding. Well, she was never one to call me out on my bullshit.

I didn't deserve her. Truthfully I wasn't sure if It was really me just angry at his death or his death was an excuse for me to get angry. At that moment, I expect Anda to see how rotten I was and leave me. That it was only a matter of time.

She never did.

She never did…...

Anyway, She was recommended (forced) to put me in a certain academy. One full of problem children. She was actually against that. Told me that she was more than welcome if I want to be homeschooled. But that would be too much. I didn't want to add another burden to her shoulder.

And that's how I ended up in Yancy Academy.

* * *

Author's note

And that's it. Your new protagonist. I kinda hope I deliver him right, so I want to ask what you think about him specifically as a character. Also, comment about Anda, I want to know what you think.

or maybe you have a theory, those are welcome too.

Fates were... jackass. Kratos was destined to be the one to dethrone Zeus, but they wanted it to be a stable transition of power, where Kratos would become champion of the fates. Instead, Kratos was... being Kratos I guess? Artemis never develop a relationship with her half-brother due to obvious reasons (the guy screw around like rabbits, of course, he's not high on her list). About who would win... Well... that was pretty obvious. Kratos had matured most during his travel and gained a sufficient amount of control over his power. He doesn't need to scream on top of his lung full of anger and rage to kill a god. Plus he has Mimir, the ultimate war advisor. Artemis never changed. Not many gods did. Olympians were more interested in preserving the status quo. In fact, only Athena was the one with idea about change, but she only took a step that benefit the Olympians (or herself).

Atreus had... significant hatred for the fates. He had his hope up when the world got reset, but his mother turned into Nal, an Æsir affiliated Jötunn. A weakling who hardly resembled his own mother. (Nal means needle, Laufey is as thin as a needle). The world didn't remember him or what he did. They replace him with Asa-Loki, who he personally look down as a poor replacement. The Æsir got longer stick than him, becoming the good guy while his people were twisted into these chaotic destructive amoral beings also pissed him. Well he finally came to terms with it after a long time. But it still left its mark.

I'm gonna clear up something. In the myth, Brokk and Sindri tried to behead Loki because he used it in a bet. "Make something greater than what the sons of Iivaldi created" or something like that. Wel,l they did create Mjolnir, the ring that can create more rings, and a boat/ship. This is canon to the story, but the one who made that bet was Asa-Loki (Loki of Asgard, aka Loki of the 2nd cycle).

Atreus never interacted with Brokk and Sindri of this era (at least not as Føroyar-Loki), since Dwarves mind didn't survive the reset button like the gods did, they never remember, so by Atreus standard, Brokk and Sindri of this era are practically strangers with their name and skill set.

Travelling Gods might seem like an outlier, but that doesn't mean Kratos and his kin were the only one. Mimir was one and there are other lesser deities/spirit who escaped their fate and wander the world by their own terms, not attached to a role by the fates. But Kratos _was_ one of the most infamous for his deeds.


	6. Past Chapter 1: The Boy Learns Magic

Past Chapter 01: The boy learns magic

Kratos chopped the wood behind his house, cleaving it right through with one swing of his axe. The dwarves' upgrades made the weapon stronger, finally fit for his strength. Before, he had to be careful as he feared the wood couldn't contain his power and snapped.

His mind wandered.

Atreus had grown up. He was a mere boy at the start of their journey. Hardly more than mortal. But then his divinity grew as he aged and learned who he was and what he would become.

Kratos was proud of that. Not in his power or destiny, no, but his growth. The old god assumed that Atreus would be even stronger than him when the boy reached his 30. The boy was clearly more talented than him. Nothing put more pride on parent's chest than seeing them grow.

Part of him was sad about that. He wouldn't be able to teach the boy much and the fact that he grew stronger indicate one thing.

That Ouranous' curse was still in effect. A curse that ensured one of his sons would be his end. And that son would have an even more powerful son to end him.

And he only had one son.

"Put that thought out of your mind brother, that pantheon is no more than dust" Mimir comforted him, as best as a disembodied head could.

"The curse is still in effect"

"Sure it is, but that never stops you before, so why bother?"

That brought a small smirk out of the old god. It was true. Besides, if his death was to come, he supposed it wouldn't be that bad to let it end in the boy's hand.

"He took a long time" Kratos stated as he looked at the sun, almost completely hidden in the seemingly eternal cloud. Fimbulwinter hadn't ended yet, but he was still able to tell time by watching the shadow cast by Sol.

"You think seiðr is a parlour trick? The boy is a prodigy if he comes back today" Mimir replied, he was not that thrilled being left with Kratos, he wanted to see Sigrun god damn it. The boy had to left him with the old war god so he would not be lonely.

The boy was either the sliest trickster or the most clueless god in the world.

The old god grunted as a response, lifting the large tree on his shoulder. He still had his misgivings about the whole thing. After all, even though the Valkyries were not friendly with Odin, they were still honour bound to Valhalla.

"Rǫcstóll aff Valkyrs, we'll go there after this" the old god declared, leaving no room for protest. Not that Mimir wanted to.

* * *

"That is not how to do it, little god" Sigrun flapped her wings lazily, floating from one side to the other.

"Well, it's hard!"

"Don't be discouraged, travelling without using Týr's temple or mystic gateways is one of the hardest seiðr to master. Only dwarves were born with the ability" Sigrun consoled the child.

She'd been teaching the boy to use the Bifröst crystal the way it was meant to be before the deceased god of war's creation made the world forget of the old ways. Only Valkyries and veterans of Æsir–Vanir War remembered how to use it, as they had to be at the site of battles faster than what Týr's temple afforded. Fortunately for Atreus, they were not only one of the few practitioners, but they were also the only ones to truly mastering it.

It came with lots of advantages too. One could summon elements instead of creating one out of their energy, eliminating the need for bag or quiver by summoning it from pocket realms, and travel the world without needing to find doors and even travel the nine realms.

Travelling the nine was hard, however, and required the user to be capable of flight. Part of the reason Valkyries have wings.

"Let the light of Alfheim flow through you, but do not let it overpower you. Focus. Channel it to every surface of your body"

Atreus did as he was told, this part he was able to handle.

"Now feel the world around you. The tree encompasses everything. Find it. Find the branch"

This was the part Atreus hadn't been able to master. He had to find gaps in the realm, a gap that would enable him to grab onto a branch of the world tree, where he could travel instantly by hopping branches. But it was harder in practice. The world pushed back against him. It didn't want him to find one of that weakness in the fabric of space. But it was only a matter of time. The world couldn't deny the little god what he wanted.

The space distorted around his hand as he found it. The world became malleable around him.

"I did it!" said Atreus, victorious.

"Stay focused. If you put in too much of the light, it can create realm tear" Sigrun warned.

"That might summon countless monsters. Got it" Atreus push the spot, his hand disappeared like it was swallowed by an invisible beast.

"This is so weird" Atreus smiled, remembering when Freya taught him of the elven architecture, when the idea of solid light baffled him.

Atreus push more and more, and his body was swallowed by the world. Sigrun smiled as she too disappeared from Miðgarðr. They had gone past the hardest part of the lesson.

* * *

"Where do you want to go?" the Valkyrie queen asked as she floated on the tree, between the world and ginnungagap while Atreus balanced himself on top of a branch.

"Home? I want to see father's reaction" Atreus grinned mischievously. Sigrun resisted the urge to shake her head.

"Channel the light into the branch, imagine your home. The more detailed your memory, the faster you can travel"

Atreus did as he was told as he channelled the light of Alfheim. Lines of runes light up until it was so far Atreus couldn't even see it anymore. But Atreus knew it had arrived at its destination, as it had stopped draining his Bifröst crystal of the light. It was still far away though. Atreus lifted an eyebrow.

"You are not walking there, little einherjar. Otherwise, this would be a highly impractical seiðr." Sigrun answered his unvoiced question. Sigrun had mentioned to Atreus during the theoretical study about how the longer they are there, the greater they risked falling into the yawning abyss. Highly impractical indeed.

"So what should I do?"

"Space and time is nothing to the Yggdrasil. It encompasses everything and anything that was, is, and will exist in the world. We can tap on it. Add a bit of your power into the line and ride it" Sigrun's answer was not the clearest, but Atreus had learned not to mind about it too much. For that matter, it made her sounded like how Freya would answer such question.

He missed her.

Dismissing the thought, he brought forth his untapped well of power. Jötunn's ice and father's fire coalesced inside him. Becoming his own energy. His true self. A completely chaotic power he hadn't been able to truly master.

He dropped a bit of it in the world tree and he quickly disappeared, as if he wasn't there to begin with. Sigrun smiled, the boy had succeeded.

* * *

Kratos was about done chopping the wood when his son appears out of thin air above him and almost drop kick him in the face. Almost.

With experience and honed reflex, the spartan dodge it and was about to summon his frost axe until the sight of his son stopped him.

"What are you doing boy?" Atreus didn't answer, busy spitting out the snow from his mouth.

"He has learned seiðr of the Valkyries" the voice of Sigrunn answered behind him as the queen waved to the former Æsir advisor strapped on Kratos' hip.

"He has?" Kratos lifted an eyebrow as he watched his son ridding himself of dirt and snow. He remembered the fight between him and the Valkyries. How there was a slight distortion in the air as they summon countless weapons. His boy had learned that, at such a young age, in so short of a time frame?

"Yes I have, now we don't need to use the mystic gateways!" Atreus answered, energized from his recent success. The look from his father was especially worth it.

"Incredible, the boy is a prodigy after all!" Mimir exclaimed, happy that the boy had just increased the chance of them surviving Thor's visit. Why fight the thunder god while you can run away across the realm? He doubted the buffoon knew such magic anyway.

.

.

.

It was nine months later when Mimir realised he had tempted the fates, for the Thunder God had learned and mastered hopping the realm like lightning striking the trees.

Yes, Odin had spent the last nine months in Valhalla drilling the magic through Thor's thick skull.

Truly the allfather knows all, as the saying goes.

* * *

This is not all fanon. In creating the valkyries page on the PlayStation site, they said that the way Kratos and Atreus used Bifröst crystal is very physical while the Valkyries has mastered it to such an extent it is part of their fighting style. I got inspired after reading that.

godofwar dot playstation dot com/stories/creating-valkyries

That Einherjar thing is unofficial title the Valkyries granted Kratos and his son, for defeating and saving the Valkyries.

This is totally not me delaying chapter release because I got writer block. Trust me. Trust me, damn it!


	7. Chapter 6: I have nightmares!

Behemoth of a chapter

Back with vengeance

Goddamn I can do this in middle of my most busy season. Let's hope it doesn't affect my performance or anything.

Kidding, I only do this on weekend, hence the lack of updates.

* * *

"if the world go wrong, it was, in some off-hand manner, never meant to go right"

Charles Dickens

Chapter 06: I punch a girl in the face and end up having nightmares

"I'm gonna kill her"

"It's okay I like peanut butter"

Another throw of perfectly fine but hideously wasted food went to that meek boy's hair.

Unfortunately, it reached the target, unlike his justification, which deliberately missed all the points. Hopefully, it was deliberated.

I didn't have anyone I can classify as friends. The closest I have was a… an acquaintance with this scrawny kid who that red-haired harpy, Nancy Bobofit, bully to hell. Really, I'm 50% sure he was between here and hanging himself. But he's strong enough to hold on. I admired that part of him, while also pissed at his inactivity towards the bullying. It was mostly because I used to be bullied by the same girl.

I mean, I get it. I have this face just beg to be punched. Blond hair, freckles, teeth a little twisted and these dimples. Hell even I wanted to punch myself sometimes. But to hell with it. If anyone was gonna punch this face, it was going to be me.

I broke her nose on my third day, along with several of her "friends" and well, they learned not to piss with me. Made it painful when I saw Grover accepting their abuse. Even more so as Grover was the only one who tried to befriend me.

He had a best friend of a sort. A boy who, like me, had some anger management issue. His was magnified though. He got this thing that prevented him from reading and writing, and he was restless as hell. A nasty combination when combined with his mama-bear attitude towards Grover. That boy with eternally pissed attitude was Perseus Jackson.

I guess you could say we were birds of a feather and we had a chance of friendship. But then again the boy got a stick up his ass and really somewhat hate everyone, rumour has it that he's not from a well-off family, which was the reason why they still pissed him off. They must be trying to expel him.

"That's it!" Grover pulled Percy before he did something he gonna regret. I did note this, however. Perhaps it would do Nancy Bobofit good if I mark her face with the sole of my shoe. Just on principle.

We were going for a trip to the metropolitan museum of art, looking at ancient Greeks and Romans. When I told Anda, she only laughed and said that she only knew them as the overly compensating people with little pee-pee. At least you get the idea when you look at their statue. she quickly retracted that statement and went on and on talking about how the Greeks have different interpretations of masculinity and such.

Anda used to tell me stories of her youth. Tales that I found to be complete hogwash. She had this ugly scar from the left side of her face, told me that she got it from a freak accident when she was young, something about a gorilla and a rabid man. Horseshit I know, but she's always entertaining when she spun her tale

Okay, sorry, where was I? Oh yeah, the museum. 29 of us went there with our school bus, accompanied by two teachers. One was an inspiring disabled man, the other could be aptly described as a psychopath.

Really. Mr Brunner, my brilliant latin teacher, just know how to tell a story. Moreover, he insisted on using Roman Armour with chalk as a sword and challenge us in naming gods and goddesses (shame he's only interested in Greco-roman myths, I really want to know others!). He reminded me of Anda in a way.

Meanwhile, the other teacher, Mrs Dodds, was the complete opposite. Biker-gang looking with this face you just wish you could punch it once. Somehow she didn't like Percy and Grover. She favoured the bully, Nancy Bobofit. It was sort of making sense in if you think about it. She's a bully who liked bullies. It just happened that she slip through the cracks and became a teacher.

Or maybe she was a mob hitman and this is her front identity.

Or just plain insane people that escape the asylum. None of them would surprise me.

Mr Brunner with his wheelchair led us through the museum, explaining greek funeral art. I have not much idea about what he's talking about, but it was fun, hearing his tale. Alas, it was interrupted by Percy getting angry over Nancy's over whatever dumb shit she pulled.

"Will you shut up?"

As soon as Percy said that, the class laughed. One of those nasty laughs children loved to make when they found someone in a situation they wouldn't want to be in thousand lifetimes, but they didn't have to be worried because they were safe in their spot in the corner.

Cowards.

"Mr Jackson, do you have any comment?"

Percy's face was red as a tomato, reality had to crash down on him as anger left his system. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but angry people are open books. You could see it even if you were not trying to find it. Those embers in their heart reflected on their eyes.

"No sir"

"Perhaps you can tell us what this picture represent?" Mr Brunner point to one of the stele.

"That's Kronos eating his kids, right?" Percy said, a little bit uncertain.

"Yes, and he did this because?" Mr Brunner's face was serious. Like life-or-death serious. Man, the guy really loved his mythology.

"He was God King and…."

"God?" Mr Brunner's eyebrow raised a little.

"Titan. And... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead. And later, when Zeus

grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters"

Some girls behind me shouted "eew" at the story. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Really, there were a stranger and more disgusting things happening in myths. Like a man made of sweat…. And another made of spit? I kinda forgot.

I feel bad for Percy. Mr Brunner was too hard on him. So what if he confused Titan and Gods? They were divine beings all the same. Only one didn't want to be associated with the other.

"And and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans,' he continued, 'and the gods won."

Some snickers from the group. The loudest, of course, came from that bull of a girl. She mumbled to her friend something along the lines of "real life", "Job application". I really hate that. Sure, I asked Anda about it several times before, but I would never say it in such a condescending tone that made me want to rip her face off.

"And why, Mr Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"

"Busted," Grover and me muttered at the same time.

"Shut up," Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red. Mr Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying anything wrong. He had good ears.

Percy thought about his question and only gave "I don't know, sir." as an answer, dejectedly.

I hold my hand up, almost in reflex. I could almost imagine Nancy's silent sneer of me being "teacher's pet".

"Yes, Mr Bodvarsson?"

"I think stories are what people said about themselves….. Uh... A reflection" Mr Brunner's thin smile made my heart skipped a beat in excitement, giving me much needed confidence

"The story tells us so much more about the past, and those who understand the past can change the future" It was a verbatim quote of Anda, but what I want to know was if Mr Brunner would think the same.

Mr Brunner looked pleased with the answer. A little warmth on my chest spreading slowly. It felt good.

"Okay, Half Credit to Mr Jackson and another half to you Mr Bodvarson. Very good. In summary, Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. The myth taught us about the past which in turn allow us to not repeat our mistake and better our future. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"

* * *

"H… Hey, want to eat with us?" Grover asked me, behind him was frowning Percy. I shake my head, offering a small smile. It would be... inconsiderate for me to accept Grover's invitation when the real host disapprove.

"I am not hungry, thanks Grov"

"Come on" Percy whispered. Grover shot me an apologetic look.

The sky was black at the time. Like someone had littered the fluffy white cotton with coal. It looked like it was about to rain. Or a storm. Or a hurricane. The most disturbing was the fact that it was common lately. Snowstorm, flooding, and wildfire.

We were outside the museum, eating our lunch. Most of us anyway. I didn't feel like eating. Especially in this weather.

The two boys walked away from us and seated themselves on the edge of a fountain. I wonder whose idea it was, Grover or Percy? Percy. Maybe. He hated us, he made that clear with his behaviour.

I couldn't fault it, though. Who would want to be associated with a messed up institution like our school?

Man, at times like this, I miss Anda terribly. Her jokes. Her stories. Her patience in listening to me. I wonder if she was okay. With all these disasters, she gotta be careful.

I was so lost in my mind that I miss Nancy closing in on them.

A small gasp made me return to reality. That girl had dumped her lunch on Grover.

I heard her say the half-hearted "Oops"

A fire burned my insides. By the face alone I knew that Percy was about to choke her to death. I run to the fountain, the rest of the class followed behind me like termite swarming a light bulb.

No matter how distant we were, I didn't want him to get expelled.

Then the strangest thing happened.

Somehow water from the fountain pulled Nancy down. Almost like a tentacle. It just swooped in and dragged her down the fountain, leaving her on the bottom screaming "Percy pushed me"

It was really was the sort of answer that made sense, but this whole thing was eerily similar to my own experience. I feel my stomach chilled. At something. Anything.

Perhaps it was Mrs Dodds detached calmness as she made that sick girl promises so she would quiet herself. Perhaps it was that aura she excluded. Or her eyes. Or how I saw her skin crawled.

"Now, honey –"

"I know," Percy grumbled. "A month erasing textbooks."

That was a really stupid thing to say, to challenge her authority. Grover fidgeted beside me.

"Come with me," Mrs Dodds said. Smiling. It reminded me of one of that discovery channel episode. Of predators and their preys.

"Wait!" Grover said "It was me. I pushed her."

"What?" To say that I was surprised was an understatement. This was the most courage he mustered up. Especially on Mrs Dodds. I knew for a fact that he feared Mrs Dodds above all.

And it really showed as Mrs Dodds glare made him tremble, yet he stood his ground. Incredible.

"I don't think so, Mr Underwood," she said.

"But –"

"You – will– stay – here."

Grover looked at Percy like he was about to lose him forever. Percy returned that with a small smile, a calming gesture.

"It's okay, man," Percy told him. "Thanks for trying."

Grover looked like a kicked puppy. In any other situation, I would call Grover a drama queen, but Mrs Dodds eyes made me wonder if it was the right thing to do.

"Honey" Mrs Dodds barked at Percy. "Now"

In no time, he disappeared from our sight, inside the building. And at that moment I just realized that I was frozen in place when Mrs Dodds came. The flame came back swelling. Burning hotter than It was before.

"He's so dead" Nancy snickered, probably having fun thinking how she would exaggerate her tale and cause Percy to get expelled.

I turn back and slug that troll of a girl in the face.

* * *

There was this chill that permeated the air. I didn't know what it was. Something that I came to hate at the time. Fear without knowing the source.

Then suddenly, Mrs Dodds was no more. No, Mrs Dodds didn't die, at least that would make sense and something I could celebrate in private. She just disappeared. Poof. Gone. Everyone looked at me strangely when I said Mrs Dodds our teacher. There was no teacher with that name they said.

It was so bizarre. I feel like… what was it? I Wikipedia-ed it somewhere. Oh gaslighting. You know, everyone lied about the situation and make you question your memory? Yeah, they were definitely gaslighting me or I'm going insane. It was the accident (murder) of my father all over again.

But something was different this time. Percy remembered. Like me. He was even more obvious. He name-dropped Mrs Dodds all the time.

In hindsight, I regret not immediately talking about it with him, because after that he refused to talk about it. It was a defence mechanism I suppose. I knew exactly how it felt, and part of me didn't want to experience it all over again.

"fhadhakdnakjd. Sorry, bad signal. As I said, you don't need to worry about anything. Just do your best in school, okay? And stop hitting that girl. I know you hate her, but I hate her father more"

"Yes, Anda"

"Good boy"

The line from the phone of my (new) pre-algebra teacher died. She offered me a small smile. Perhaps she sensed something in my face. Or maybe that was the default face of this teacher. I didn't know. Despite what everyone said, she never taught me before.

In the end, I somehow get over it after a phone call from Anda. She was just persuasive that way (maybe that's why she can convince someone to buy her dress from a phone call). Percy Jackson was another story. He was spiralling down. His grade went to hell. He was really in bad shape. He fought more, he acted badly in front of teachers. I would be surprised if he didn't get expelled.

I don't want him to get expelled. At least not because something that was clearly not his fault.

Yes, I suppose I feel bad for him. It's like watching a mirror.

"Percy…?"

"Get off my back Val" Percy scowled, deeper than usual.

I admit I hold back myself from walking away or snark at him.

"Is it about Mrs Dodds?"

Percy froze for a second but then shook his head. I didn't know if it was denial or something worse was going on. Percy was not the most open of a person. I should know, I was just like him.

"You know…. It happened to me once… Saw my father having his neck…. You know.. By monster. So don't worry. However unlikely others find it to be, I will trust you"

At first, Percy turned his head toward me, his sea-green eyes looking for that sick prank he assumed I was going to do. I assume he knew I had no such intention because his eyes softened for a moment. It didn't last, however, as his scowl deepened. He said something I did expect but managed to surprise me nonetheless.

"I am leaving"

"Leaving?"

"Yes, I'm leaving this school. Bye Val, wish you the best"

Percy ran away and I didn't go after him. I figured he needed some time. But no. It turned out to be our first and last. After our final test, I tried to find him, but he was already gone. Some people told me he went on a bus with Grover, but nobody knew where.

Anda picked me up not long after, hugging me tightly. Previously it would always brighten my day to meet her, but at the time, I couldn't help but have a bad feeling.

* * *

I saw my father, with a hole that used to be his neck, stretching his hand like rubber, only this rubber break and spew out blood everywhere. He was eaten right to the bone by blazing-haired reptile girl. Then a monstrous bull replaced the reptile, and in place of my father, a woman. It was slowly crushing the woman to the bone. Then it came for me. The bull.

I woke up with a scream.

"Are you alright?" Anda was already by my side. Her face was a mixture of confusion, fear, and concern.

"I uh… yeah… bad dream" I calmed myself, still breathing fast. "How… uh… how long you've been here?"

"Three minutes. You were yelling like an elephant" Anda still checked my forehead, see if I got a fever.

"How are you getting past the door? It was locked"

Anda gave me a cryptic smile as she wiped my face with a handkerchief (Anda was one of those people carrying it everywhere) "A girl can never reveal her secret. Even more so to a boy"

I pouted half-heartedly. Anda stuck her tongue out.

"Anyway, what was it?" Anda had finished removing my sweat-drenched clothes and was about to change the wet linen of my bed when she asked that.

"Just a nightmare" I really didn't want to talk about it. It all felt so real. Father's face…

"Obviously, I mean, what kind of nightmare?" Anda pushed. A small part of me thought it was unusual for her. Then again, I rarely have a nightmare.

"Getting eaten by a monstrous bull"

Anda stopped what she was doing for a moment, her back still facing me.

"Bulls are herbivores, Vali, they don't eat flesh"

I scowled in response. Of course, I knew that. Anda turned around, with an expression I know all too well. It was the type she had when she was about to tease me.

"Want me to sleep with you tonight? I eat a nightmare for breakfast, they won't come and hurt my little boy" She pinched me in the cheeks. I brush aside her hands.

"That hurts!"

"Oh that hurts, then Aunty Anda will kiss the pain away!" Anda pursed her lips exaggeratingly. I push her away from me, Avoiding her dark red lips like a plague (It was not until later that I found out MOST PEOPLE don't use makeup going to bed). She thought my dimple cheeks made me cute. Now, I had no problem with cuteness or whatever, but I had to draw a line when that person's reaction was to BITE it.

"I am not a child!" Anda raised her eyebrow.

"Okay I'm a child but…..aaarrggghhh!"

Anda had bitten my cheek again.

Damn these dimples!

* * *

"Why can't I drink that?" I tilted my head just a little, while Anda stored the red substance out of me and stored it on the kitchen cupboard, so high I couldn't reach it. What was that? A safety box? Then she locked it….. And the cupboard. And added a few nails just to be sure. Talking about overkill.

Once I heard Anda's business partner calling her "neurotic" behind her back. I supposed that wasn't too far off.

We were eating our breakfast. Anda was about to eat hers when a package came. When it was unwrapped, a bottle with a sparkly red liquid stored in a transparent glass greeted us.

"When you are older, you are welcome to drink that as much as you like" Anda answered patiently, sitting on Sofa and turning on the television.

"Oh, is it alcoholic?"

"No, nothing of sort. If that was alcohol, I would let you have a taste. My father did. Took me a lot of years until someone convince me to sip wine again" Anda answered, playing with her greying hair. Her answer made me wonder if his father was an alcoholic. It was the first time Anda talked about her family member.

Anda's phone rang, the display showing the name "Brunner".

"Good Morning, Mr Brunner. Hmm? No… We've got our own plan. No…. he's not going to that camp, sir. Yes. Excuse me? I can do it myself. Good day" Anda put the phone back on the table, turning it off.

"What was it?" I asked while loudly crunching my cereal. Anda looked at me most disapprovingly.

"Nothing really important, just an offer for you to go to his private campground. I don't approve until he can give me assurance that it is safe for you" Anda's tone left no room for protest. I knew better than to nag her about that. Besides, I figured that I was away from her for too long. If we're going somewhere, it better be together.

"Vali, be a dear and wash our plate, will you? I'm beat" Anda looked like she was about to pass out. Well, she didn't sleep last night. I went to clean our dishes. While I was doing that, our doorbell ring.

[Ding Dong]

From her shoulder, I could see Anda lazily stood up from her couch. By her pace, she wasn't expecting anyone at this hour. Usually, Anda would be by the door in an instant. She was always timely if one already made an appointment. I peek from the kitchen door, careful to not being seen. A bad habit to put your nose in on someone's business I know, but I was a curious child.

When the door was opened, the house feels…. Different. No. Not different. It was, it was wrong. I couldn't describe it. The colour around me looks wrong. My tongue feels funny. My knees were shaking.

It was Mrs Dodds all over again.

"Good afternoon ma'am" it was a man's voice, soft yet with so much force behind it. He was old. The kind of old you kinda figured he was using a cane or even in wheelchair based on his voice alone, but this one stood tall and imposing with his blue suit, blue trousers, and dark yellow shirt. He had a large black book, which he held like one would holy scripture.

"Good afternoon, sir…?"

"Alex Harris, ma'am. I am from Yancy Academy. We need to talk about your son, Vali" the man spoke with a slight accent. I couldn't place what, however.

"I'm afraid the answer to that is a no. I will talk about my son with his teacher at the parent-teacher conference. Goodbye Mr Harris"

"Wait, Ma…" Anda slammed the door on his face and lock it in one swift move.

Wow, I never saw Anda so… rude towards a person. Then again she was familiar with most of the teachers and staffs on Yancy and this man must be unknown to her. She was just that careful with everything.

"Anda…."

"Silence, Vali. I don't know who that person is, but there is no way he's from your school" That was the first time Anda told me to shut up, and it really made me fell silent.

Another knock at the door. Anda never looked more pissed in her life. But she refused to answer.

"Maam I''m only here to deliver a message" the man shouted outside, I heard thunder strike distantly.

"Just get off my property or I'm gonna make you regret it!" Anda furiously replied. Anda closed her eyes as the man continued to knock. Ten seconds later Anda opened her eyes and her scowl deepened. She walked towards me and pulled me harshly to her bedroom. She opened her cupboard, shift her dresses apart. She looked at me and point her finger to the space between the dresses. I would have asked about many things. Why she didn't call 911, why she wanted me to hide, why was she so fearful, but her eyes shut me up. It was, by a trick of the light, glowing ominously. I couldn't help but bring myself to obey her, out of fear. She opened one of the drawers on the lower part of the cupboard and pulled out a dirty white cloth.

"Stay here, cover your eyes. No matter what happens. Don't take it off"

"What?" Finally, I was able to push aside my fear and asked her, but Anda would have none of it.

"NOW!" It was the first time Anda shout at me, and I felt my hair raised up. Again, I followed her command out of fear.

"I'm sorry Boy, I'll make it up to you okay?" Said Anda. She kissed my forehead and close the door. I tried not to think of it as parting words, but my asshole brain kept me from thinking anything but that.

For a moment only the man's knock filled my ears. But then I heard the door opened.

"Finally, I hope you don't mind my preparation. But your refusal to open the door force my hand" the old man spoke, I could hear several footsteps. If it could be called footsteps, as it made the house shake like an earthquake. "Now, I can find him myself after taking care of you, or you can take me there and be safe, which will it be? I assure you there is nothing to be gained from protecting blood of the white ghost"

"If you already know whose blood he belongs to, why attack us? There is nothing the sisters can possibly gain from this" Anda's voice was calm. Somehow it calmed me down. Knowing that she was in control, or at least think she was in control, lessen my anxiety.

"Oh but there is! His blood interferes with the fate of our pantheon. The boy had contact with an important child. They will not just reward me, they might even declare war on your lot!"

"Hmph. I see… This is not a mission. This is a case of a grunt licking his masters' shoes" Anda's tone was mocking, I imagined it hurts more than any knife "Which means they don't know it yet. Good. I just have to erase you from this world, blóta meginn sóttar-far!"

For a moment I thought it was my imagination, but then I heard swishing sounds, one that you heard from rope-skipping. Only it was definitely significantly more intense. It only happened in a short time before it was replaced with a single sound of gunfire. Then, Not long after that, I heard groans. I didn't know what happened. But Anda must've done something. Maybe she's using a gun because when that old man's voice could be heard again, I was certain he was in a whole world of pain.

"You... shall pay… for your arrogance, savage creature! το πεπρωμένο γινεται"

I don't know what it was, I didn't really know what happened. One moment, earthquake, then I definitely had been thrown in the air, as I can hear the air whizzing on my ear. Then my back hit something, so hard it punched out the air out of my lungs.

Then I knew no more.

* * *

το πεπρωμένο γινεται (To peproméno gínetai) -Destiny becomes/your destiny is done?. GOW II Players will know who said this. And it might be obvious that Alex Harris is not Alex Harris, just like Anda is not really Anda.

The whole dimple biting thing is what I and my sisters did to my little cousin when she was five. She was too cute XD

And this is the start of Vali's journey. Like the hero's journey, in which God of War 2018 faithfully followed, our Boy Vali left the familiar grounds.

 **Bloodywintersnow** "Why Vali was named VALI? I mean, isn't that just tempting fate? I mean Vali son of Loki in the myth was turned into a wolf and eat his brother!"

Good thing he didn't have any brother, amirite?

 **EdwardG2000** Hell, even Zeus think Kratos can't possibly win either due to his pride, yet he did beat the hell out of him. Kratos is being wise here.

 **Z.L.C. genesmith** And it is true in more than one ways.

The mural of Jötunheimr calls Kratos and his child Einherjar. Also, Kratos is in a sense a Fallen (God). Also, throughout the side-quest, the valkyries keep saying Valhalla awaits. In a way, they implied that they are worthy of Valhalla (Of course when you best all nine valkyries in combat it's hard not to be "worthy).

Also, that is not really the most accurate translation of Einherjar in old Norse. In fact, no one is really sure. Everyone is saying one or the other. There are several meanings with "Bold", "Valor", "Fighter", "once warrior", "Single warrior", Norse myths aren't the most well-preserved due to their tradition of being passed orally and also the lost works that happens to their original form, such as the Skjöldunga saga. Hell, Prose Edda, where we extract most of the theory and tales of the gods, are euhemerism, discrediting their divinity and making these gods vain kings who turned themselves into idols. Hell, won't surprise me if Baldur's messiah tendency and Loki's demonization is the result of this. They really _can't help_ themselves butchering other myths.

 **kerrowe** Thanks... and yep.

 **Bluzerker** You are not reading it wrong. Atreus was in his woman form at the time, hence the whole "she". It has everything to do with his status as god of duality. really this "Boy" thing is over his perspective. For Atreus, that awkward college student is a mere boy who doesn't understand the implication of his actions. A foolish boy. Well, in case you stop reading it, thank you for reading it


	8. Past Chapter 2: The Ash-covered War God

Past Chapter 2: The Ash-covered War God

"Father, are you a war God? Like Ares and Athena? You seem knowledgeable of it" the young Jötunn-God ask from his bed to his father, the old old, muscular, ashen-coloured skin, and magnificently bearded man. Said old god, sitting on his bed looks at me, oh shit.

"He's been asking about Sparta, and you have been silent" the stare, before a mere cinder, looks like a bright flame now. Shit, this is the price of doing the right thing. Enduring the smouldering brimstones that happen to be the Ghost of Sparta's eyes.

Kratos, the old war god, sighed. It has been quite a routine lately. Atreus, being a child he is, ask many questions, and when he doesn't get the answers from his father (for understandable reasons, to be honest), he will ask me. And I have to answer it (Usually in an indirect if not steering away from the conversation when it reaches dangerous territory).

Why? Because I happened to be a wise sage who knows many things.

"What did you tell him, head?"

"I only covered the basics. The Olympian, mostly"

Atreus looks at both of us, hopeful. Poor child, he only wants to know more about his father. Well…. Kratos has a good reason, surely, if what I hear is any indication.

"Hmm…." the man seemed to be in deep thought before he speaks, "Ares embodied war on its most basic level. Wanton destruction and pain one have to inflict and be inflicted until either side wins, or all of them loses. Athena is of warfare, Generals who plan thoroughly and hand over glory for the fool who went to war." Melancholy and rage paint the man's face as he speaks of the two Olympians.

It doesn't really answer anything, of course, as I had covered the basics. Atreus already knows that and understand that his father is steering away from the conversation.

"and you?"

Kratos looks away, to the door that he left closed. Fimbulwinter raged on this day. There is no way for us to go out and hunt. Part of the reason this happened. I suspect if the winter ends in this very second, Kratos would've avoided the question by going to hunt.

"I was nothing. A mortal demigod" Kratos finally answered. Atreus is familiar with this. He told me before that when in Jötunheimr his father slipped in that he was part mortal. Still, I suspect it is far more than that. No demigod becomes immortal without something extraordinary happening. The famed Heracles from his land reportedly become somewhat immortal after his mortal death, his divine essence coalesced into God of Strength while his mortal self went to a peaceful afterlife. Magni and Modi happened to inherit a lot more than it should be from their divine parentage and prophecised as a pair to become even more powerful than Thor. (Kratos took care of it, though).

"I had a family there. A brother… a mother…. Wife and daughter" His eyes fog up a bit, he must have a hard time remembering it. As I did whenever I try to describe the land of my father and his father before him.

"I have a sister?" Atreus perks up at that. Ah… poor boy must be lonely after only living with me and his father, only occasionally meeting the dwarves when the winter grows a little bit warmer.

"Yes… " From the way he answers it, it is quite obvious that Kratos doesn't want to delve deeper into the subject. The young Jötunn gets the message.

"How….how do you become well... you? How do you become so strong?" Atreus asks, Atreus choose his words carefully, he realizes that one wrong word can close his father instantly. Good boy. He will make a fine ambassador. It is also a fair question, after all, Kratos defeated one of Odin's sons. Baldur, the Gleaming God, who many Æsir speculate to be the embodiment of Dagr in godly form. Weaker than Thor for sure, but even Heimdall with all his foresight would have problems fighting him even without his curse. It is almost a luck on their side that Baldur becomes as deranged as he was by having the curse broken. I remember when he was but a lad, before the curse, back when he fought battles with his head.

"Things happened that resulted in... In… death of my family" Kratos hold his hand up to Atreus, a sign that he doesn't want him to ask anything.

"The Olympians and other gods…. They, they were there. They played my life like a fiddle. My focus at the time, however, rest on Ares, God of War. He manipulated things in the shadows so he can take the King of Gods' throne. The King also happened to be my father, Zeus, God of Thunder" When Kratos says that, Atreus eyes become wide. Things must be starting to put themselves in place in his head.

"There was a rule in my land that no gods can kill one another, made by my father so he can't be betrayed by his sons. They don't cover demigods, however. So Ares play around with my life, trying to warp me into a monster of the battlefield" Kratos suddenly stopped and I can see his hand wreathed in an orange fire for a moment, before disappearing altogether. He motioned to the floor where he had stored the fire blades.

"He gifted me with them. A bond between master and slave. He gave me great strength, and I gave him everything. Countless atrocities I commit in his name until he…. Betrayed me. Trying to make me the greatest warrior" Kratos scoff at that, looking at his hand.

"I abandoned him and went to the other gods, I made another deal for the gods to make me forget the horrors of my life. They agreed, and they make me their warrior, thwarting the war god's plans. I was mostly aided by Athena, a goddess of warfare. Through the trials and tribulations, I gained great power that allows me to become a god. I fought Ares on equal ground and killed him in combat" Kratos' hand twitched, almost like he's stabbing someone with a blade. He must be relieving the experience all over again.

"And then? Why do you leave? The bad war god is dead, right?" Atreus asks him with that child gaze. The eyes of the naive son.

"A story for another time" Kratos answered shortly. Atreus is left somewhat dejected. Couldn't blame him, I want to know too. "But, to answer your original question"

Kratos walk closer to Atreus, getting on his knee. He put his hands on the young deity. His eyes hardened like steel.

"I am the glory to be found in a war" Kratos begins, and as if by tricks of light, I saw him in a younger form, clad in magnificent red armour fitting of an Olympian.

"The rage, madness, and suffering that allows wars to happen" I saw him, bloodied and enraged, screaming to the heavens. Red flame burning his blades as he battled a great monstrous creature.

"The focus and single-mindedness of generals who ensure his side triumph" Another vision, this time of him cruelly denying someone mercy. Forcing him to meet a horrifying death.

"The cruelty of the footsoldier finding happiness in the destruction of their enemies" Kratos, Ankle deep in blood, mutilating his last opponent.

"And finally, I am the consequences one must face when it all ends" the visions ended and we are all transported back to the present. To the old and weary god his son knows.

Atreus is stunned, like me. The old god walks away, opening the door, it seems the winter has lessened a bit. I suspect it was his display of power that enables it in the first place. That power….. It was almost too much for a single god to handle. A taste of vengeance, rage, and…. Hope? What a puzzling creature, this man before us. A monster with man's skin. A creature of horror raising this sweet little boy who inherits so much more than his divinity.

Kratos retrieved his axe and take Atreus bow from its place on the house's beam, throwing it at the young god. Atreus caught it with little trouble.

"Shall we hunt today?" in that Moment, Kratos returned to his normal, gruff self, and Atreus allows himself to smile. All is normal as if the story before changes nothing. At least, I hope so. For the father and son both.

"Yes Father"

* * *

Author's note:

Dagr= Personification of Day

Another past chapter of Kratos and Atreus. More will come.

To be honest, I am stumped writing this story, but not too keen on leaving it. Coincidentally I am replaying all god of war games I have and... well... I'm interested in re-exploring Kratos and what it means for him to become a God of War, why "God of War" title is not a mere artefact title, with people thinking that he's just a demigod or "God of Nothing" in the land of norse. NO! the God of War is still his story (and now his son's too) and it still explores "war soldier" theme. Kratos still embody War. His life story is basically a soldier with PTSD.

In case anybody asking,

Týr: In my mind, Tyr as the antithesis of Kratos, embody "Si vis pacem, para bellum". The one who went to war, not because of mere greed, glory, revenge, or rage. The one who went to war by necessity, in an effort to return to peace. The one who armed himself solely to defend himself.

Athena also originally embody this quality, but in God of War III, she kinda jumped the slippery slope there. Kratos only say the above because he's biased, but his observation is not wrong either. Athena did play around with his life, even if it was for the greater good, and she handed out the glory of godhood as a replacement for things that she couldn't deliver (and Kratos did accept it, before he's getting angry in the ghost of sparta when he knew the truth).

This past chapters will be like series of one-shots that is still connected to this story as a whole, Exploring the family as they persevere in Fimbulwintere and Ragnarök without losing themselves in the current of violence and bloodshed.

I'm only making it worse by adding this Author's note, didn't I? Sorry about that.

BlueWafflesFTW: Yes.

ultima-owner: Thanks

tomahawkESP: If they want to, they can raze the olympus all over again, eight times as easy in fact, but they are not in that business anymore. The mortals will suffer for their actions and they take that into account. Don't worry, warfare is not only about brute strength, but also strategy. They will find a way.


	9. Past Chapter 3: The Blade

Past Chapter: The Blade

There was a time in life where one has to sacrifice one or several luxuries in their life for a chance at survival, be it their own or someone else's. It was true for mortals, monsters, even Gods.

The luxuries of fatherhood, happiness, hatred, and shame

The King of Gods, Zeus, for all his fear, sincerely loved his sons and daughters, and would save them when given the chance. Deimos, his own blood, he could've killed him and ended his paranoia there and then, but he chose to let him live, and even though it was in a horrifying condition and under constant torture of Thanatos, for Zeus believed it was better to be alive than dead. He would kill all of his sons, however, when the threat had a chance to become something of a possibility.

Pandora had it, the possibility of happiness with a new father, one who would protect her from the might of a God King. But chose to let it all go, so that her higher self, her true form, could survive. The form that embodied hope. She survived to this day, living in the heart of mortals, and more importantly, in Kratos' own.

Hades hated Kratos with all passions. He was the murderer of his wife. But even he let it all go, for there was no way for the god to know how far the war of gods will happen. So he locked it up and granted Kratos, the Kinslayer, the power of Souls.

And Kratos himself prefered to hide his shame from the world. Be it in a forest, the humble wooden home, the floorboards, or the stripes of clothing wrapping up his arms. He had to reveal it to the world again, the blades of chaos, his ultimate shame, in order to save his son. After that, he would prefer if the blades were to disappear back to beneath the floorboards.

But it was not to be. Fates of this land force his hands. For Atreus dream of things to come and his wife left him her final warning. The prophetic dream. the Jötnar's tale of their future.

As much as Kratos would like to believe it to be untrue, Kratos knew better than taking his chances. Not when the survival of his own son was at stake. So the blades remain strapped behind his back and he began to re-train himself in the art of war of his previous life.

Mimir congratulated him for it, for facing his greatest shame. But Mimir's approval meant nothing to him. It still hurt him to do this again. It filled his heart with crushing despair, that he was not free of the fates. And those despair turned into great anger that boiled the rest of his sanity.

But even then Kratos knew it wouldn't be enough. The God of War knew that no mere training would be enough to face the coming of a storm. Not even his rage would be enough. He needed a hidden trick. Before he had hope, a power beyond all measure that rendered even the greatest of the gods beneath his feet, now he had nothing but a sliver of it.

However, Kratos was far from hopeless. The God of Vengeance had another thing hidden, one that his son couldn't find even if he wanted to. One that only he and his late wife knew of. So when Atreus trained himself in the art of magic and weaponry with the Valkyries in Muspelheim, Kratos travelled to the remains of his wife's garden, which had been protected once more with Atreus' staves.

When he arrived, his heart was filled with a little pride. The flowers and vegetables were replanted and regrown by Atreus, even in the harsh winter, a feat made possible thanks to elven seiðr empowered by few Bifröst crystal. Atreus single-handedly keep the plants warm and receiving sunlight for the rest of this damned Fimbulwinter (with the help of the Dwarven Brothers, of course, they charged quite a few hacksilver for the items).

"I know you like to keep working in silence, but I have to ask brother, why are ye butchering those perfectly fine vegetables, which your son has worked hard for many daylights, like a Forað (Ogre)?" Mimir asked the old war god who had left the head quite a distance after the undead complained about soil getting in his mouth.

"You shall see for yourself, head" Kratos enigmatically answered, continuing to dig in the soil at the centre of the garden. After the hole was deep enough that Mimir could only see the bald white head sticking out, Kratos stopped as he felt his hand hit the hard steel of heaven and earth. Kratos pulled the blade away from its grave, finding it dimly lighting up. The war god was transported back to those fateful days, when he was killed by and killing his own father, when he was saved and killed by himself.

"Hmm, interesting…. Very interesting" Mimir's golden gaze studied the dirty weapon. It was a sword, obviously not made by or meant to be used by mortals, for the steel radiate an aura of divinity. Yet, Mimir didn't think that it was that useful, for its power was pathetic compared to the blades and the axe.

He didn't have to tell the old god, however, for he figured that Kratos himself was aware of it. The blade required something….. Much more dramatic for the ghost of Sparta to use. Whatever it is, Only the owner and maybe the dwarves knew.

Kratos knew what it required, a sacrifice for power. The blade grew stronger the more it absorbs power. After releasing hope and most of the power inside it, it had grown weak. It would take much of his current strength to regain its former deadliness, one he couldn't afford to do. But the promise of sapping the opponent's power was too great to pass up, and Kratos felt like the dwarven crafts would help with its current weak state.

Kratos took the blade, putting Mimir back to his place, and walked back home, where a door to the realm between realms would transport him to Brok and Sindri's workshop.

* * *

"Would you look at that, our favorite customer is back. Let me guess, armour or weapo…." Brok stopped as soon as the weapon was within his sight.

"Gefjon's bossom…." the blue one looked at the blade with shiny eyes, licking his lips and swallowing his saliva.

"I need you to repair this" Kratos threw the blade into their table, it made a small dent in it, but Brok didn't seem to mind.

"What is this blade?" Sindri had touched it even with all the dirt covering it. "It's artistic, and the steel holds great potential, where is this from? What are they made of?"

To say that the brothers were ecstatic is an understatement.

Kratos' face was emotionless and the brothers knew he wouldn't answer.

"Well, who cares?! Let's do this!" the dwarf took the blade from Kratos' hand without even requesting it, not that the bane of Ares mind.

"What does it need?" Sindri asked himself and his brother as he cleaned the blade from the earth layer covering it. The enchanted clothing made it clean in a single wipe. Sindri was quick to put the cloth on fire, so he wouldn't get the little beasties inside him.

"Surely we need Skap Slag, high-quality ones and loads of them" Brok commented, and Sindri produced the ore from his magic bag.

"Leiptr's alloy?" Sindri added and Brok nodded in agreement, pulling the metal and something else from their place on his shelf

"Hardened Nidavellir Steel is a must, nothing else will suffice"

"But what about the power? I doubt anything short of a god or souls will suffice…." the conversation was lost as Kratos laid against a wall near the travel door, sleeping.

* * *

"AND DONE!" the brother's celebration woke Kratos up, finding the blade already resting on the desk, ready for him to retrieve.

"Hey, you wake up! Good! Here, give this blade a spin!" Brok threw the blade at Kratos, who caught it with an easiness reserved to the God of War alone.

Kratos studied the runes written on the edges and the branches and leaves-like pattern added to the golden metal near the edges and a curiously reworked handle, now much more comfortable to the hand. The last one must be Sindri's choice.

Kratos summoned the power from within the blade, and it lights up instantly, first yellow lightning before blue lightning combined with the yellow. Kratos' eyebrow rise at the two dwarves.

"We extract lightning from two dragon corpses as a substitute for its original power source" Sindri explained. Kratos could guess which two corpses.

"The three dragon you freed also... ahem... donate their tooth and claw to enhance its power" Brok added with distinctive glee. Fafnir didn't donate shit, but few golden artifacts was enough to buy one of his tooth, nail, and skin.

There are countless other things they added to the blade, but there was no need for Kratos to know every little detail.

"Hmm..." Kratos was about to give the dwarves a great amount of hacksilver for their troubles, but Sindri and Brok shook their head.

"Working on it alone is a privilege," Brok said. Kratos looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"As payment, perhaps you can show us its power?" Sindri, with little hesitance, asked the old war god. Kratos pondered for a minute before he nodded. He still needed to see the restored blade's performance after all and it didn't hurt to indulge the dwarves' antics, given that they repair it for free.

"Very well….." Kratos began to channel his spartan rage into the blade. It reciprocates and Kratos pupil dilated as his vein was filled with raw-divine lightning. It took everything for Kratos to not just let loose there and destroy the temple. Instead, Kratos began a series of sword swipes, perfectly controlled yet also wild in a manner the dwarven brothers associated with those of berserkir. The brothers looked in awe, not only at the energy released by the sword but also at Kratos' discipline and restraint in holding back said energy. They knew it was a powerful weapon, a lesser man would perish from just touching it.

But Kratos was not a lesser man. No, he was not a man at all. No matter how Kratos and Atreus hide it, they had their suspicion. Well, if they were no sure before, this was as close as they get to a confirmation.

From the outside thunders were heard and bolts of lightning jumped between the winter cloud. For a split second the world serpent thought it belonged to a certain thunder god. He hissed at the temple, daring for the Lord of Aesir to come out and fight until he realized whose power it was.

 _"Ah…. It has begun"_ the Jötunn serpent spoke with delight and barely contained glee. Finally, it came. Finally, he would avenge his kin. Because this very moment matched a certain tale Jötunn maiden warrior spoke of when he was but a boy circling the lake of nine.

Of how when Miðgarðr has their own thunder god, Ragnarök will begin.

* * *

A/N:

I hit a writer's block. Sorry. For now, I only write the past chapters. To be honest, I'm not satisfied with my Vali's portrayal. I think it can be done better. There is also the matter of Grammar. Thankfully, I'm about to take English course for IELTS, so maaaaayyyybbbbeeeee it will help. Fingers crossed on that one.

superpierce: There is a reason why fates do this, will be explained later.

borutobono98: Yep, as shitty as it gets. Sorry about that.

Guest: And now resurrected, like Jesus and Odin :)

Dragon Bone Z: What can I say, It's just Loki being Loki.


End file.
